South of Madras, there is Sadras aka Sathurangapatnam, with a well-preserved citadel.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Had the English not proved more tenacious, we would have gone over to the Dutch a long while ago. The VOC (a long name in Dutch that signifies their East India Company), was around in this region much before the East India Company we know so well came along. And they were a significant presence all along the Coromandel Coast. Their interest was chiefly trading, particularly the cotton cloth woven in this region. While the British were still struggling to find a foothold in Madras in 1639, the Dutch were well-established at Pazhaverkadu aka Pulicat, 60 km north of Madras.
Also Read:Take a heritage walk at Pulicat to understand how Madras came to beThe British picked up the tricks of the trade by observing the Dutch, including the use of translators or dubashes. And the first dubash, Malayappa Chetty, was for a while in the service of both the companies! That was soon frowned upon and Malayappa ostensibly withdrew from British interests but successfully planted his nephews in his place. The Dutch were not happy with the British, but relations between the two were certainly warmer than what it was with the French.There is very little of Dutch heritage left in these parts. In Pulicat, we have practically nothing left of what was once Fort Geldria, but the church in the village, strikingly similar to Luz Church, survives. Rather appropriately, what is in excellent condition is the cemetery with a whole lot of tombstones that have interesting carvings. South of Madras, we have Sadras aka Sathurangapatnam, with a well-preserved citadel. And in the Thirukazhukundram temple, there is an inscription in Dutch on a mandapam, recording the visit of a Dutch gubernatorial party. At the St. Mathias Church in Vepery, there is a Dutch grave — the last place you would have expected it to be in. It is of Martin Stoffenberg, head of the administration at Pulicat. He came to Madras to recover from an illness and died here.
