Sadras is about 10 miles south of Mamallapuram on the East Coast Road, right next to the Kalpakkam township, and it holds what is left of a 17th-century Dutch East India Company fort with about 20 Dutch graves inside. The Archaeological Survey of India lists it in its Chennai circle register as “Ruined Dutch Fort and Cemetery”, serial number 89.
It is not on the ASI’s list of ticketed monuments, and it is quiet enough that you may be the only visitors. That makes it the ideal half-hour add-on to a Mamallapuram day, provided you know what you are looking for. Here is the history, what survives and how to fit it in.
A Dutch port on the Coromandel coast
Long before the Dutch, Sadras (Sadurangapattinam) was a weaving town and port. A research note by the European-funded CAPASIA project says the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, signed an agreement with the ruler of the Carnatic in 1612 and built up a permanent presence in the decades after. By the late 17th century, a Dutch official wrote that Sadraspatnam had the best textile painters on the coast, and its painted cotton bedcovers, called palampores, were fashionable in the Netherlands.
The fort’s later history is a run of sieges and handovers. CAPASIA records that Sadras hosted an aborted French and British peace conference in 1754, was captured by the British in 1781, damaged again in 1795, and changed hands in 1818 and 1825. The News Minute notes that the Dutch finally ceded their Indian settlements to Britain by treaty in the 19th century.
What you will see
Most of the fortress is gone. What remains, according to The News Minute and CAPASIA:
- The west gate, topped by a watchtower, with a cannon on either side of the entrance.
- The sea-facing east wall, with a bastion built to resist attack from the water about 100 yards away.
- Ruins of warehouses, a granary and stables, plus a well, a kitchen and an underground drain.
- The Dutch cemetery, with ornately carved 17th-century tombstones, including a double tomb said to belong to two brothers.
The cemetery is often locked. Ask the caretaker to open it. CAPASIA describes one stone for Ammarentia Blockhovius, wife of the Sadras chief Lambert Hemsinck, who died in childbirth in 1670 at about 25, and another for their son Pieter, who died in 1682 aged 16. The carving is thought to be the work of local stonecutters, which is why Dutch heraldry sits beside very Tamil decorative detail.
Restoration work started in the 1990s, and the ASI studied the fort and rebuilt some structures in 2003. Excavations turned up Dutch delftware, Chinese porcelain, clay pipes and a circular tank used for dyeing cloth.
Getting there from Chennai
The News Minute puts Sadras about 80 km south of Chennai on the ECR, about half an hour past Mamallapuram; CAPASIA gives roughly 40 miles. By car it is a straight run down the coast road. By bus, ECR services towards Kalpakkam and Puducherry pass the turn-off, and the fort is a short walk or auto ride from the main road. There is no railway station nearby, so the bus or a car is the practical choice. On the way back, the ECR fills up from late afternoon on weekends, so leaving by 3 pm saves a slow crawl into the city.
Pairing it with Mamallapuram
The Mamallapuram monuments, by contrast, are ticketed. The ASI “Must See” page lists Rs 40 in cash or Rs 35 online for Indian visitors and for SAARC and BIMSTEC citizens, and Rs 600 in cash or Rs 550 online for other foreign visitors, with the site open from sunrise to sunset.
- Morning: Shore Temple and the Pancha Rathas at Mamallapuram while it is cool.
- Late morning: drive about half an hour south on the ECR to Sadras. Allow 45 minutes at the fort.
- Lunch on the way back north, or continue south if you are heading to Puducherry.
The ASI ticketed monuments list also includes the Tiger Cave at Saluvankuppam just north of Mamallapuram, if you want a third stop.
Practical notes
- The fort is next to the Kalpakkam nuclear complex, which has security restrictions. Stick to public roads, and do not fly drones or photograph the plant.
- There are few facilities at the fort. Carry water.
- Be respectful in the cemetery. Do not climb on the tombs or make rubbings.
- In the monsoon the grounds can be muddy, and the sea beside the fort is not safe for swimming.
Quick answers
Where is the Sadras Dutch fort?
At Sadras on the ECR, about 10 miles south of Mamallapuram and next to Kalpakkam.
Is there an entry fee at Sadras fort?
Sadras is not on the ASI Chennai circle’s list of ticketed monuments.
Who built the fort?
The Dutch East India Company (VOC), which had a presence at Sadras from the early 17th century.
What is special about the cemetery?
About 20 Dutch graves from the 1620s to the late 18th century survive, with carved tombstones.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Monuments of Chennai Circle (ASI Chennai Circle)
- Life and Death in the Dutch Fort at Sadras (CAPASIA, ERC-funded research project)
- Photo Essay: Sadras, Dutch legacy on the Coromandel Coast (The News Minute)
- Group of Monuments, Mahabalipuram (ASI ‘Must See’ Indian Heritage)
- List of Ticketed Monuments (ASI Chennai Circle)
