Alamparai Fort, Kanchipuram
About Alamparai Fort
History
Alamparai was a seaport in historical times. The place had other names like Idaikazhinadu, Alamparva and Alampuravi. The fort was built during the Mughal era between 1736 and 1740 AD. The fort was initially under the control of the Nawab of Arcot, Doste Ali Khan, and was later given to the French. After the Carnatic wars, when the French lost to British, the fort came under the direct control of the British and was demolished in 1760.Alamparai is mentioned in several places in the diaries of Ananda Ranga Pillai, Dubash to Dupleix in French India. It was the primary port of trade for the Arcot nawabs. They had a mint there, and later, at the request of Dumas, the governor of Madras Presidency, The People who worked in the Mints of Alambarai (it is mentioned as 'Alampuravi') moved to Pondicherry and established a mint with the approval of the Nawab of Arcot. It was a regular port of call on the Coromandel Coast, having a 100 m (330 ft) dockyard. The other contemporary ports were Pulicat, Madras, Mylapore, Sadras (12 km from Mahabalipuram), Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Porto Nova, Tharangambadi (Tranquebar), Karaikal, and Nagapattinam. The fort experienced further damages during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and portions of the dilapidated fort remains under the sea. A team of archaeologists found out coins minted during the rule of Nawabs. Some rare artifacts like the arms and ammunition used by the Nawabs and French were also found in fort.
Architecture
The fort can be reached on driving down the East Coast Road, about 100 km (62 mi) from Chennai, 5 km (3.1 mi) from Vedal and 50 km (31 mi) from Pondicherry (Puducherry). Local fishermen assist tourists in a boating experience around the fort. The fort covers an area of 15 acres (0.061 km2). The fort is built of bricks and limestone and at its centre there is a mausoleum. There are tall walls around the fort and brick steps lead to the top. The watch tower from the fort provides good view of the surroundings.