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Madikeri Fort, Coorg

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Madikeri Fort was originally a mud fort built by Mudduraja in last quarter of the 17th century. It also had a palace inside the fort. This fort was rebuilt with stone by Tipu Sultan with secret underground passages.

In 1790, Doddavira Rajendra took control of the fort. In 1834, the British added to the fort. Later in 1812-1814, it was once again reconstructed by Lingarajendra Wodeyar II. This palace consists of a sculpture of a tortoise with the initials of King Vijayarajendra on it and two life size stone replicas of the royal elephants which were killed by King Veera Raja.

The fort has a tale of bravery to narrate. In the inner fort there was a temple of Virabhadra, which was forcibly destroyed to give place to an Anglican Church built by the British in 1855. Built in Gothic style this St. Marks Church has stained glass windows.

The structure was renovated twice and in 1933, a clock tower and a portico was constructed to park the commissioner's car. The two-storied fort is a 110-feet-long structure. Today it is a museum under the Archeological Department of India.

It has become the home to some of the historical artifacts and a section has been dedicated to Field Martial Cariappa. Other areas of interest within the fort premises are the district prison, the Kote Maha Ganapathi temple and the Mahatma Gandhi Public Library. The Kote Maha Ganapathi temple is also one of the main temples in Coorg which competes during the Madikeri Dussera Festival.