About Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is at a distance of 3 kilometers from Srirangapatana.  Srirangapatana is a great religious, cultural, and historical town. The famous Srirangapatana temple, built in the 9th century, an important Vaishnavite pilgrimage center, is situated here.  It was also the capital of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali in the Mandya District of Karnataka State, India.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary comprises six islets on the banks of the river Kaveri.  The islets were formed due to the embankment built across the river Kaveri in 1648 by the then-Mysore King, Wodeyar. Centuries later, Dr. Salim Ali (an Indian ornithologist and naturalist known as the birdman of India, found that these isles formed a major nesting ground for birds. He persuaded the Wodeyar kings of Mysore in 1940 to declare this as a bird sanctuary. Dr. Salim Ali prevented the destruction of the Silent Valley National Park.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary has an area of 40 acres, making it one of the state’s largest and most famous bird sanctuaries. Around 170 species of birds are there in the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.

During floods, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is closed. Still, watching birds from a distance is allowed.

Nearby Tourist Places

Daria Daulat Bagh, or Tipu Palace, meaning Garden of the Sea of Wealth, is approximately three kilometers from this bird sanctuary.

Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Zoo, St. Philomena Church, Mysore Palace, and Chamundi Hills are other nearby tourist places 11 to 14 kilometers away. Magnificent twin Shivanasamudra waterfalls is around 80 kilometers from this bird sanctuary.

How Do I Go to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary?

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is around 20 kilometers north of Mysore. MYS is the railway station code for the Mysore Junction railway station on irctc.co.in, the official Indian Railways Ticket Booking Site.

The nearest airport is Mysore Airport. The closest major international airport is Bangalore Airport, around 140 kilometers away.