More of Tipu's legacy at Summer Palace

 
Organised by the Hazrat Tipu Sultan Wakf Estate, the exhibition will be on till Tuesday. It was inaugurated on Sunday by Wakfs Minister Mumtaz Ali Khan at the Summer Palace near K R Market. On the opening day, the most sought after object of interest was the blood-stained tunic worn by Tipu when he was felled by the British while defending his capital Srirangapatna on May 4, 1799 in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.

On Sunday, visitors at the exhibition were awe-struck by the tunic which has faded over time to attain a sepia-tint, but the blood stains are still visible on the fabric preserved for 210 years.

Among the other items on display were the swords Tipu used as well as pistols and muskets, daggers and a host of other weaponry of 18th century vintage. A well-preserved original copy of the Quran, handwritten by Tipu, is also on display and so are coins that were in circulation during Tipu’s regime.

Although a three-day exhibition, it gives an opportunity to tourists and the historically inclined to savour them at one place rather than having to visit Tipu’s museum run by the Estate in Ganjam, Srirangapatna. The only disappointment was that only four cases holding the relics are on display. The Summer Palace’s environs, however, more than make up for the number of items.

Construction on the Summer Palace, known as the “Abode of Happiness” and “Envy of Heaven”, was begun in 1781 by Tipu’s father, Hyder Ali. It was completed a decade later by Tipu after he took over the reigns of Srirangapatna. The palace was built to house the darbar which would deliberate on and administer justice over the territory ruled by Tipu.

The Palace was originally enclosed by a mudfort built by Chikkadevaraya Wodeyar I in the 17th century.


*Venue: Tipu’s Summer Palace, Albert Victor Road
* Timings: 9 am to 5 pm
* Entry fee: Rs 5
Exhibition is on till Tuesday