Fort St George

Fort St. George is the first fortress built by the British in India. It was built in 1639, in what was then called the city of Madras (now Chennai) in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu .

The city of Madras and eventually Chennai is said to have evolved around this fortress, which used to be the landmark of the region. Today, the fort houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings related to the state.

The British East India Company, which had entered India around 1600 for trading activities, entered Madras, which was a coastal city, and began the construction of a harbour and a fort for business here.

The fort was completed on 23 April 1644 coinciding with St George's Day, so it was named Fort St George, and it was hub of all merchant activity in the region.

In 1665 (when the new French East India Company was being established, esp. in the neighbouring Pondicherry region), this fort was further strengthened and expanded.

The structure of Fort St. George is influenced by the 17th and 18th century British architecture styles. The building has a grey-granite exterior, and has a total of three elements, namely –

• Museum – This exhibits various artefacts and relics of the period of English and British rule in India and more specifically in Madras. This building’s construction was completed in 1795 and had housed the office of the Madras Bank for some years.
• Wellesley House – A building that got its name from Richard Wellesley, the then Governor General of India, and brother of the Duke of Wellington.
  It houses the paintings of the Governor of the Fort and other high officials of the Regime, and The canons of Tipu Sultan (Sultan of Mysore) and a 14.5 ft statue of him at the entrance, which was made by a sculptor in England and later brought to India.
• Flag Staff – Flag Staff is a complex consisting of one of the tallest flag poles in the country, which has the Indian flag on it. The pole is made of teakwood, and is of a height of about 150 feet (46 m).

Fort St. George is open to visitors between 9 AM and 5 PM every day from Saturday to Thursday, and is closed on Fridays.

The entry fee for the site is INR 5 per head for Indian citizens, and INR 100 per head for foreign visitors.

Fort George can be reached easily from anywhere within Chennai city by bus, metro train, cab or autorickshaw. And Chennai city can be reached by air, rail or bus.

• By air – Chennai’s International airport is well connected to various cities within India and other parts of the world, and is easy to reach from anywhere. From the airport, the fort (which is about 23 km/14.3 miles away) can be reached in around 45-60 mins.
• By rail – Chennai Railway Station is a major railway terminal in south India and it is well connected by trains to various other major cities in the country, and can be easily reached. From here, visitors can hire cabs or buses to reach Fort St.George.
• By road – Chennai can also be reached by intercity buses or cabs from most neighboring cities.