Fort St George is one of the remarkable colonial structures in the city that hark back to the times of the British rule in India. Located at the edge of Chennai along the Coromandel Coast, the origins of the fort can be traced back to the history of the city itself. The fort was completed on 23 April 1644, on St George’s Day, and hence christened St George Fort.
Fort Museum
One of the main highlights of Fort St George is its museum. Known as Fort Museum, it houses a diverse collection of antiquities in well-organised galleries. As many as 3,661 artifacts from different ages of modern Indian history are displayed across three floors, which are divided into 10 galleries.
St Mary’s Church
Dubbed the Westminster Abbey of the East, the St Mary’s Church is the oldest masonry building within Fort St George walls. Consecrated on October 28, 1680, the church is believed to be the oldest British building in India as well. It is said to have been built with the help of voluntary contributions from the English who inhabited the fort.
Due to its peculiarly designed roof, the church was the only bomb-proof building in the fort at the time. The church has 104 tombstones, the slabs of many of which were used to mount guns around the fort when Mysore ruler Hyder Ali attacked Madras in 1782.
Timings
Fort St George: 9 am to 5 pm (all days except Fridays)
St George Museum: 9 am to 5 pm (all days except Fridays)
St Mary’s Church: 10 am to 5 pm (Monday to Saturday). It holds regular mass on Sundays
