Sadhurangapattinam or Sadras, a silent testimony to the past

Sadhurangapattinam or Sadras, a silent testimony to the past

Afternoons at Sadhurangapattinam or Sadras are quiet as in any other small town. The fish market is closed, not many people on the streets and those that are are on a post-lunch siesta and the only noise that comes is from the school where classes are on.

“There are days when we get a bus load of visitors and then there are days when not a soul comes by,” says the watchman at the old Dutch fort and cemetery that the town is known for.

He and his wife take care of the place and do a little bit of gardening and keep out unwanted visitors.

The remnants of the rectangular Dutch fort are under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and entry is free. The red brick structure is located 17 km south of Mamallapuram and is worth a visit. It is open on all days from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., says Maheshwari, who runs a cool drink shop bang opposite the west-facing entrance.

The fort has neat lawns, thanks to a few goats that graze there every day. According to Pulicat and Sadras-Confluence of History, Culture and Environment, brought out by Anameka Architects and Designers, the earliest inscription, dating to 1353, refers to the place as Rajanarayanan Pattinam during the period of the Sambuvarayars, the local chieftains under the Cholas.

“A Vijayanagara period 15th Century inscription gives the name [of the place] as Sadiravasagan Pattinam. This is in reference to the local Perumal temple. This name could have been altered and it came to be known as Sadhurangapattinam,” said Xavier Benedict, architect, Anameka, and a researcher of Pulicat and Sadras and their Dutch connection.

The name, Sadras, however, was given by the British and that is how it is known today.