Fort St. George
About Fort St. George
Far From City: 5 kms from city center
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About Fort St. George
Weather:
Time Required:Less than 1 hour
Open Time:St. George Museum: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed on Friday)St. Mary's Church: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Monday - Saturday)It holds the regular mass service on Sundays.
Cost:
St. George Museum
Indians
History of Fort St. George
During the middle of the 17th century, Chennai was a busy place for trade and commerce, and the competition was stiff between the French, Dutch and British East India Companies. To bring about their monopoly over the other colonisers, British representatives Francis Day and Andrew Cogan purchased land along the part of the coast which is now the famous Marina Beach from the local rulers.
The construction of the fort was completed in 1644 and was named after the Patron Saint of England, Saint George. It later became the centre of the Madras Presidency, the oldest province of British India. In the course of time, Fort St. George has seen some severe battles, many of which were instigated by the French and some by the ruler of Mysore Empire, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan.
Fort St. George Church
The church within the fort premises is called St. Mary's Church which is the oldest Anglican church in India. It was built a couple of decades after the fort itself, around 1678 and 1680 as per the orders of the then Agent of Madras, Streynsham Master. In the graveyard of this church, some of the oldest British tombstones of India are buried. They belong to the earliest residents of the White Town. St. Mary's Church is known for being the venue of the weddings of Robert Clive, and Governor Elihu Yale, who later went on to be the first benefactor of Yale University in the United States.
Fort St. George Museum
The building which houses the museum at present was built at least a century later than the rest of the fort area. In 1795, Madras Bank started its business in this building. The second floor hall was used for public meetings, lotteries and certain entertainment purposes of the upper class British. The museum keeps many memorabilia of the colonial period of British, French, Scottish and Indian origin. Medals, weapons, coins, uniforms, royal dresses and some original letters, including some written by Clive and Lord Cornwallis are kept. The two main attractions of the museum are the larger than life statue of Cornwallis and the first ever Indian flag that was hoisted after the declaration of independence. Public is allowed to see the preserved flag but not to take pictures. The ramparts of the museum are decorated with canons used by Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.
How to Reach Fort St. George
Fort St. George is located only a kilometre away from the Chennai Railway Station. Being the busiest point of the city, it can be easily reached by bus, cab, auto or private/hired car.
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