Sunday morning and nothing to do, it was a quick trip to nearby village Devanahalli, the birth place of the Great Tipu Sultan. Devanahalli comes on the National Highway 7 on the way to the very beautiful Nandi hills. Beautiful landscapes all over the way with Nandi hills as the backdrop it was a wonderful morning to spend at Devanahalli.
Tipu Sultan was born in Devanahalli in 1750. As one reaches the town from Bangalore, one finds a scant signboard and a stone tablet surrounded by fields proclaiming the birthplace of Tipu.
Also present is the Devanahalli fort, built in 1501 by Mallabairegowda (before Tipu's time), which remained in the hands of his descendants until the mid seventeenth century. In 1749, the then Dalwai of Mysore - Nanjarajaiah, attacked the fort and occupied it. Later, the fort passed into the hands of Hyder Ali and subsequently Tipu Sultan. In 1791, Lord Cornwallis laid siege to the fort and took possession during the Mysore War.
When Tipu came to power, he renamed the settlement "Yusufabad", which did not prove to be popular
Although Devanahalli is just an hour's drive from Bangalore, there is very little tourist traffic as the authorities have failed to realise the potential of the area. This should hopefully change with the impetus on the Bangalore International Airport.
Devanahalli is the site of the new Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), which is scheduled to open in April 2008.
For more Pictures from Devanahalli, check my photostream on flickr.
Interesting blog... did you read my article on Devanahalli in Deccan Herald?
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