Built in the mid-18th century on the site of a seaport active since ancient times, Alamparai Fort (also known as “Alampara”) has witnessed wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, and the ever-turning tides of imperial power. Now, this old fort off a forgotten road along the Bay of Bengal is a favourite spot for photographers and off-the-beaten-track explorers of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India.
The majestic 15-acre structure was originally built by the Mughal rulers of India and was gifted to the French in 1750 for “services rendered” on behalf of local authorities. Ten years later, during the Anglo-French Carnatic Wars, the fort was captured and subsequently demolished by British forces. Since that time the site has received only limited attention from archaeologists, who nevertheless have discovered coins minted on-site, as well as various weapons and artefacts from its mercantile and military past. In 2004 the site suffered additional damage due to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Thanks to the violent warfare between competing colonial interests, the ravages of nature and the neglect of local government, this fort has certainly seen better times.
Now empty of people and in decay, old Alamparai Fort stands tall even as its bricks slowly dissolve into the sea. It’s a wonder that the structure has held up as much as it has; little to no conservation effort has been made. Even the few metal signs explaining the site’s significance are corroding in the sun-drenched, salty air of the Coromandel Coast. The fort can be reached while driving down the East Coast Road, about 100 km from Chennai, 5 km from Vedal and 50 km from Pondicherry (now Puducherry). Local fishermen assist tourists in a boating experience around the fort.
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 leading to the top. The watchtower from the fort provides a good view of the surroundings.
On the beachfront, several sections of the fort’s walls have tumbled away from the main structure and are now submerged in the sand of the ocean’s tidal backwaters. Now, the fort is listed in the International Tourism Fair in Berlin as one of the twenty lesser-known tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu by The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). Overlooking the Bay of Bengal, the Fort provides breathtaking views and has been featured in multiple Tamil films, lending a haunting romance to the scenes.
