Raja’s Tomb

Settled amid one of the most beautiful hill stations in Karnataka- Madikeri, Coorg, there lies a historical attraction, Raja’s tomb also known as Gaddige. The beautiful Indo-Saracenic monument contains the mortal remains of the royal Kodavas. Pay homage to another era of royalty of Karnataka.

Built in 1820, the three structures in the complex hint at the style of Muslim architecture, with domes and turrets. But it also unique as the temple of Lord Shiva with a lingam and Nandi. The main tombs are, King Veera Rajendra and his wife and his brother Linga Rajendra. Also, visit the tombs of Raja’s priest and General Biddanda Bopu here.

The Architecture and the History of Raja’s Tomb

Gaddige or the tombs are built in Muhammadan style with tombs at the center and turrets at the corners. Nandi figures are carved on top of the corners.

The entrance of the tombs has carvings too. Lord Shiva is placed and worshipped inside the tomb since the king was Hindu. This is a very fascinating fact because most of the tombs belong to Muslim kings and dynasties.

There are three tombs built for the royal dynasty. The central tomb which is the largest among the three is of Kodava king Doddaveerarajendra and his wife Mahadeviamma. The right tomb was built by Chikkaveerarajendra for his father Lingarajendra in 1820 A.D. The left tomb belongs to Veerarajendra’s guru Rudrappa built-in 1834 A.D.

Closer to the tombs is the burial place of the two brave royal officials Biddanda Bopu and his son Biddanda Somaiya who sacrificed their life fighting with the Tippu Sultan.

How to Reach Raja’s Tomb?

Gaddige tomb is located in Mahadevpet, which is 1.5 km from Madikeri towards the northeast.

By road: Tourists can reach Gaddige via SH27. Both Government and private buses are available to Coorg. Autorickshaws are also the best means of travel in and around Coorg. Also, every big town in Coorg has car rentals, taxis, and bike rentals available to take visitors to Raja Tombs.

By air: There are three airports close by to Coorg. Mysore, Mangalore, and Bengaluru. Mangalore and Bengaluru are international airports located 135kilometer and 260 kilometers away respectively. The closest airport to Gaddige is Mysore is 120km away from Gaddige. Taxis are available from airports to Madikeri.

By train: Coorg does not have a good railway network. The main stations close to Coorg are Mysore, Hassan, and Mangalore. Reaching these three stations will not be a problem since they are well connected by road and rail. Mysore to Madikeri is about 115 kilometers and buses are available from Mysore station to get tourists to Coorg. Hassan and Mangalore railway stations are 105 kilometers and 135 kilometers and are again well connected to Madikeri by bus.