Fort St. George

About Fort St. George, Chennai

Seventeenth-century British citadel and state administrative headquarters.

• Fort St.
• George is a coastal fortress founded by the British East India Company in 1644, marking the official origin of colonial Madras.
• Today, the walled compound houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly alongside St.
• Mary’s Church, completed in 1680 as the oldest Anglican church in India.
• Visitors tour the Fort Museum, which displays British regimental colors, early coins, colonial uniforms, and letters penned by Robert Clive.
• The grounds also retain original cannon batteries and Wellesley House, named after the Governor General.
• The museum opens Saturday through Thursday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, closing on Fridays.
• Entry costs twenty-five rupees for Indian citizens and three hundred rupees for foreign visitors.
• Visiting between November and February avoids the harsh coastal heat, and weekday mornings tend to be much quieter for walking the grounds.