The Obelisk Memorial, also known as the Siege Memorial, is a soldier’s memorial built in Srirangapatna, Mandya district, Karnataka state. It commemorates the British officers and local soldiers who lost their lives during the siege of Srirangapatna during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, the last fought between the British Army and the forces of the Mysore Empire in 1798-99. The monument was built in 1907 during the reign of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV as a token of gratitude of the Wodeyars for regaining their throne from the Sultan. The obelisk monument in Srirangapatna is 50 feet tall.
It is about 134 km from Bangalore. And it is only 16 km away from Mysore. It is 29 km from Mandya city. It is just 500 meters from Srirangapatna Railway Station and 4 km from Srirangapatna Bus Stand.
The obelisk is located on high ground near the walls of the Srirangapatna Fort in Srirangapatna. It is set in the middle of a concentric series of steps spread over a high point in the northwest corner of one end of an island in the Kaveri river, near the more famous Ranganathaswamy temple.
An obelisk is a polished stone base in the form of a square base with a pyramidal or conical tower on four cannonballs, with a pointed form towards the sky and a narrow structure. A cannon ball is mounted on the conical pointed top at the summit. Four panels are fitted at the base. One of the square faces of the obelisk panel is engraved with panels detailing the martyrdom of British officers and soldiers of the British Army during the siege operation of 5 May 1799 and the martyrdom of Indian soldiers. Representational in both structure and arrangement of these monuments, they function as monuments with a complete structure of understanding. The obelisk is of shining stone built on a series of steps in a wide concentric circular surface on an elevated site near the walls of Srirangapatna Fort, Srirangapatna.
For the Egyptians, the obelisk was a sacred monument commemorating the dead, representing their kings, and honoring their gods. The second panel of the obelisk specifically mentions British casualties in the battle, with lists giving the numbers of soldiers and officers as 192 killed, 657 wounded and 25 missing. The number of casualties engraved on the plaque will get the final count report.
History
Before the outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in February 1799, British forces planned to attack Tipu Sultan and were assembled with the Nizam of Hyderabad and an additional contingent of Marathas. The British invasion army consisted of troops armed with cannons accompanied by elephants, horses, camels and other war equipment.
At Srirangapatna Tipu Sultan and his army were well enclosed within the fort and besieged. The river Kaveri, which flows around the city of Srirangapatna, was at its lowest level. After war tactics and struggles on both sides, a contingent of British officers and soldiers finally, on 4 May 1799, crossed a river four feet deep in water, and entered the interior of the walls. At the start of the war, the French and Tipu’s brave soldiers outnumbered the better equipped British.
At dusk on 04 May 1799, some British officers went to search for Tipu Sultan’s body. Officials identified the body as Tipu Sultan and his body was found in a choked tunnel-like passage near the water gate. Tipu’s body sustained three injuries, including a bullet, and he died the same day. Thus the war ended and Tipu achieved a decisive victory over Sultan.
The last two panels of the obelisk’s building list the rank, name and regimental details of the European officers who died in the siege.
The front panel of the obelisk gives a general description of the siege.
