Sadras is a sleepy little town near Kalpakkam. Not many know that this nondescript place used to a flourishing trading port in the 1600s. Sadras was a Dutch port and trading settlement after they obtained it from the Nawab of Carnatic in 1612 AD.
A factory to produce and trade muslin cloth and other fineries were established by the Dutch East India Company and the centre flourished till the Anglo-Dutch was which culminated in the defeat of the Dutch and their subsequent ouster from India. The fort was destroyed in heavy bombardment and remained forgotten for almost a century and a half till it came under the protection of ASI.
Our visit to Sadras was a result of the sudden discovery that there lied a fort within 5 km of our college and we never knew about it! So one fine evening we decided to have a dekko at the monument. We reached the place by 4 PM after much-asking routes from the local people, and yes it actually existed! We could see a square complex surrounded by still standing brick walls and two cannons at the gate. As we went inside, we were greeted by a lone watchman who turned out to be very friendly. He showed us around, to the officer quarters, the granaries, the kitchen and even the dance hall where the Dutch officers used to hold their evening parties. Most important of all, we got to see a cemetery of extremely well-preserved graves dating the 17th century of the officers and soldiers of Dutch East India Company. The tombstones are beautifully carved and some of them are present with the coat of arms, denoting Aristocracy. It feels weird to think about those Dutchmen buried there, so away from home, and perhaps forgotten. A part of Nederland’s still exists here in the rustic Tamil Nadu!
Road Map to Sadras
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Sadras Fort, Flickr Photoset
Purnendu, Thanks for giving a chance of an online tour of your surroundings. I loved the way you capture the photos and the way you share related info. You can find the photos of Lahore Fort on my blog but I used a simple digital camera.
Thank you once more!
Very Warm Wishes from Makkah, K.S.A
I visited the Mecca and Lahore forts in your blogs. Beautiful I must say! Can we have you as a Guest Travel Writer for our Blog? Will give many of us a chance to see Pakistan and its beautiful places through your eyes.
About the camera, well, Camera is like a pen – the quality hardly matters. Your photographs are beautiful!
Thanks you so much for giving some of your precious time to my blog. I don’t know how can I share my photos here but loved the idea and I appreciate your invitation. Currently, I am residing in Makkah so I cannot take new photos of historical places in Pakistan but I would love to see my older photos on “Shadows Galore”.
Photos currently published on my blog show a water marked URL of my blog but I can send you the photos which don’t have a water mark on them. Thank you so much once more.
Best Wishes
We will be happy to have you onboard 🙂
Please send your pics, will publish them after processing. The photos will carry a link to your blog and will remain your property.
Thank you so much. I will soon send you the photos of Lahore Fort and Shalimar Garden both of them have been included in the world heritage sites.
Best Wishes
Shukriya 🙂
Apka bhi shukriya 🙂
till what time is the fort open..?
I remember being there in the evening around 4:30. From what I know, the fort remains open till 5:00 PM. Its always advisable to go there when there is enough light because of the numerous snakes which live there.