Our trip to the island town of Srirangapatna was although a big
disappointment as we had gone in search of ancient temples and they all
had been renovated alas in the modern style. However, the existence of an
ancient bridge built during the British occupation using local engineering
skills came as a big surprise. After going around the Srirangapatna Fort
which was once the seat of Hoysalas, we hurried down towards the riverside
on which this bridge still stood mute but spoke of an interesting piece of
history.
From a distance, this bridge looks like any other structure but as one
goes nearer, one wonders at its ability to still bear the weight and
travel of men and machine. Ancient Romans are considered to have built the
best bridges in the world and one can still see its evidence in Turkey,
Greece, Italy, Spain, and other countries.
The Wellesley Bridge as it is known is the oldest road bridge built across
the Cauvery river at Srirangapatna in Mandya taluk, Karnataka. This is a
linear structure that has survived for 217 years and one marvels at the
simple architecture of this overpass over the mighty Cauvery river during
those days when cranes and other machinery were not there.
Local people informed that the ancient bridge was restored recently.
Neglected and dilapidated once, it had been covered with tree branches and
roots so much that the retaining walls had taken a severe beating and had
been damaged. However, now that is a thing of the past and it was restored
to whatever extent possible.
According to Jayashree, a resident, when the Cauvery river was dammed and
the KRS Dam built-in 1911, the complete stone structure of the bridge had
to bear the brunt of frequent releases of water now and then. During
monsoons, it was a trying time for the old bridge as it was almost
submerged and people spoke about its imminent collapse. But it has managed
to survive and so, attracts many people to come and have a look at a
structure that was built using only local material and technology.
Even as we walked on the bridge, I remembered how the bridge has been a
destination for the shooting of many Sandalwood and Bollywood movies with
many heroes and heroines either prancing, riding a bicycle or walking on
this bridge.
This road bridge was built by Dewan Poornaiah in 1802-04 and so, named
after the Governor-General Richard Wellesley. It has been constructed
using a series of big and solid stone pillars. The bridge is not only an
example of native architecture at that time but is said to be an
engineering marvel.
It is worth seeing from a distance for a minute or so, some people say but
for our team comprising Tharangini and Srinivas Adhikari, it was an
interesting peek into the past. One can see the Wellesley bridge from the
new bridge or even from the dungeons in the Srirangapatna Fort. I sat in
one corner wondering about the structure which would have seen the
footfalls of many people including the Wodeyar kings, queens, soldiers,
farmers and the commoners as also ancient and modern vehicles.
As we go down the bridge, traveling a short length of steps, an
interesting example of native architecture is clearly seen. Although it
looks rough in construction, the bridge has survived the heaviest floods
and weathered all-natural calamities for more than two centuries.
Location map:
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