Historical Sites Near Chennai - Sadras Fort

Sadras (Saduranga pattinam) is an old Dutch fort that is located just past Mahabalipuram, near the Kalpakkam atomic power plant. A flourishing weaver settlement during the medieval period, Sadras became a Dutch settlement after they obtained it in 1612 from the rulers of Carnatic. The Dutch East India Company established a factory, essentially to produce and trade the famous muslin cloth till the settlement was razed to the ground in British bombardment. This fort had a small settlement of Dutch traders. The Dutch traders used this fort to export goods from India. In mid 17th century, the British attacked and took over this fort. The first battle between British East India Company and the Dutch started here as Battle of Sadras. It has a cemetery of Dutch East India Company or VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) soldiers and officers. It is now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in efforts to contain further dilapidation of this great monument.Fort walls

Restored Granary - outside view

Partially restored warehouse/granary

Ruins of the fort

The Ponniyin Selvam group atop the walls

The group scaling the ruined fort walls

Within the fort is a cemetery with exquisitely engraved granite tombstones, the inscriptions on them giving the details of the Dutch buried there. One tombstone has a beautiful bas relief of a vessel with sails, another is chiselled with a coat of arms, a third has a rose, and so on. The inscriptions on the tombstones tell tragic tales of the dead

Insignias on the tombstone

The cemetry at the Dutch fort

Cannons at the fort entrance

A cannon at the entrance of the fort

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