Wellesley Bridge, Srirangapatna

About

Wellesley Bridge, Srirangapatna is an ancient stone bridge built in 1804 on the Highway road leading to Bengaluru from Mysuru in the state of Karnataka. This stone bridge is built across the north bank of the Cauvery River (also spelled Kaveri River). When built it was the main first artery approach to the island town of Srirangapatna (also known as Seringapatam during British Raj) which was initially the capital city of the Wodeyar Dynasty of Mysore Kingdom after the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799. The bridge was dedicated to Marquis Wellesley who was the Governor-General of British India when it was completed, and it was inaugurated in October 1804. It was built under the overall supervision of Dewan, Purnaiah of the Kingdom of Mysore, as directed by the King Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar. The strong bridge is built from stone pillars and corbels, surrounded by stone girders, and survived over 200 years of heavy traffic and heavy floods in the river. It was repaired in 2018-22 and put to use by cyclists, motor cyclists, and pedestrians. It has been proposed to promote the bridge to a heritage monument.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.