Forts in TamilNadu

There are only a few remaining forts in Tamilnadu today. The Tamilnaduforts that are still standing intact are from the recent history,mainly belonging to the 17th and 18th centuries. The state enjoyedrelative peace during the muslim invasions that swept most of NorthIndia and the Deccan. The extreme southern situation may be the reasonfor this. The British built their first major fort here, and most ofthe forts in Tamilnadu include forts built by them and some remnants ofmedieval and ancient forts. Tourism in Tamilnadu benefits from theseforts as each year numerous tourists visit them. Some of these fortsare among the major tourist destinations in Tamilnadu.

Important Forts in Tamilnadu:

Fort St George: This is the first British fort in India, built in1639, and a base of British experience[ansion in South India, andsubsequently to all over the country. The fort was the scene of somefamous battles in the 18th century. The French occupied the fort forsome time during the war of Austrian succession in Europe. The Britishregained the fort after the treaty of Aix –la Chapelle. Today, the fortserves as the administrative headquarters of the legislative assemblyof Tamilnadu. The fort has many interesting attractions within it,including the museum, St Mary’s Church, and the Wellesley house. Thecanons of Tipu Sultan placed at the ramparts of the museum are areminder of the famous struggles between the British and the braveIndian king.

Fort St David:After a series of skirmishes between the Britishand the French, the fort finally came under permanent Britishpossession in 1785. This fort was bought by the British East IndiaCompany from the Marathas in 1690. Robert Clive became its governor in1756, shortly after the fort became the British headquarters in SouthIndia in 1746. the fort is situated near Cuddalore , about hundredmiles from Chennai, ( Madras ) on the Coromandel coast.

Gingee fort:The original fort wasbuilt by the Cholas in the 9th century. The fort has undergone numerousshifts in power from then on. It was modified by the Vijayanagar Empirein the 13th century, and gained a formidable reputation. The GingeeNayaks made it their headquarters during the Nayak domination inTamilnadu. The fort also served as a Maratha stronghold during thereign of Shivaji, and his son continued fighting against the mughulsfrom here. After a brief period of French possession, the fort finallycame under British control in 1761. Gingee fort never witnessed waragain. Presently it serves as a museum preserving the many historicbuildings including the granaries, prison cells, the Kalyan Mahal andthe Chenjiamman temple. The fort is situated at a height of 800 feet,and is surrounded by an 80 feet wide moat.

Udaygiri Fort:This little known fort in the Kanyakumari districthas been recently converted into a bio-diversity park by the forestdepartment. The fort was built in the early 17th century and underwentmajor modifications in the 18th century under the Travancore rulers.The Tombs of the Dutch admiral De Lennoy and a Chapel built in hismemory are notable monuments within the fort.

The other important forts in Tamilnadu are the Vellore fort, Vettakottai fort , Sankagiri, and the Dindigul fort.

Vellore Fort : Vellore Fort, a perfect specimen of military architecture islocated in Vellore, 130-km away from Chennai and 10-kmfrom Katpadi. Sinna Bomma Reddi a vessel chieftain under the Vijayanagarkings, Sada Sriranga Maharaja, built this historical fort in the 16thcentury. This fortress is the mute witness of many historic sieges andbattles.

The fort is situated on the Palor riverbank. The outer length of the fortis about 2,500 feet and 1,500 feet in breadth. The height of the outerwall is about 30 feet and the breadth is about 25 feet. The approximatecircumstance of the fort is 2,600 meters.

It was constructed with the granite blocks and is surrounded by a moat,which is supplied by a subterranean drain fed from a tank. The walls areconstructed with hewn Kangaroo stones of rectangular shape.