The Hindu : Sadras excavations uncover hidden treasures

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Sadras excavations uncover hidden treasures

By Our Special Correspondent

A view of the Sadras fort in ruins.

Chennai April 17. Recent excavations in Tamil Nadu's only Dutch fort - the Sadras, 70 km south of Chennai- have uncovered hidden architectural treasures of the medieval period, a huge granary which could hold 50,000 rice bags and rare tiles and glass ware.

The hoary Dutch past of Sadras, famous for its superfine muslin, lay buried in heavy sand beds till two months ago, when the Archaeological Survey of India began to sleuth into the weavers settlement nestled in the Coramandal coast.

Within a few weeks of the excavation, the ASI men, who dug 30 trenches on the sprawling fort site, have unearthed at least 400-year-old glazed ware, glass bottles and smoking pipes made in Holland, besides Chinese porcelain ware, the ASI Superintending Archaeologist, K. T. Narasimhan, told the media here.

Interestingly, the bluish-green glass bottles not only remain intact but have also not suffered a single scratch. The hexagonal and rectangular stone tiles, seen on pavements in the post-modern era, were used in Sadras township as early as the 16th century when the Dutch colonised the settlement. The cement drainpipes concealed inside the walls were another key finding, he added.

Three copper coins belong to the English East India Company and a dying vat were also found.

``Excavations will continue and we hope to unearth more about the Dutch settlement,'' Mr. Narasimhan said. After two centuries of Dutch rule, the East India Company of England razed down the Sadras fort in 1818. When the ASI took over the Fort for preservation nearly 90 years ago, people were using it as a public lavatory for children. However, in the last decade, the entrance of the fort was rebuilt, paving way for the excavations on the eastern side of Sadras.

QMC issue

Asked about the raging controversy of the architectural and heritage value of the Queen Mary's college here, which the State Government has decided to raze down to make way for a Secretariat there, Mr. Narasimhan said the ASI was concerned with buildings which were over 100 years old. Stating that he had not seen the QMC building to give his opinion on its architectural value, Mr. Narasimhan refused to comment any further on the issue, which was before the Madras High Court.

Free entry

Meanwhile, to mark the World Heritage day tomorrow (April 18), tourists to Mahabalipuram and six other monuments in the State would be allowed entry without payment of fee.

While normally foreign tourists to Mahabalipuram will have to pay $ 5 and domestic tourists Rs. 10, they will be provided free entry tomorrow, Mr. Narasimhan said. The other monuments, where free entry will be allowed are the Gingee fort in Villupuram district, the Dindigul fort, Chittanavasal, Kodumbalur and Thirumayyam in Pudukotttai district.

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