FORT ST.

GEORGE (CHENNAI)
The year 1644 adds another glorious chapter in the history of the South Indian city Chennai,
then known as Madras, conferring upon it a gift of the St. George Fort along the shores of
Bay of Bengal. Historically famous as White Town, the fort has taken its name from St.
George who is believed to have a significant influence in the region during that era and
whose birthday coincides with the day of completion of the construction of the fort. The fort is
considered to be the first establishment of the British in India. Initially erected as a trading
post, it later served as the origin of the modern Indian Army. A live example of the military
architecture marvel, the St. George Fort is probably the most noticeable ancient monument
in Chennai. The fort holds great historical importance and is looked after by the
Archaeological Survey of India.

In recent years
The entire complex is administered by the Department of Defence. The fort building is a
three-storeyed one housing the offices of the chief minister and other ministers, the chief
secretary, home ministry, treasury, etc. The remaining offices are housed in the 10-storeyed
Namakkal Kavingyar Maaligai, which houses more than 30 departments
FORT ST. WILLIAMS (CALCUTTA)
Fort William is a must visit tourist attraction place of Calcutta. Situated at the banks of river
Hooghly, it was named after King William III of England. Fort William of Kolkata, India, was
established during the tenure of British Raj in 1696. It was the guardroom of this two-storied
building, where the black hole tragedy took place. During the Plassey war in 1757, Siraj Ud
Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal attacked on the fort and defeated the Britishers. This paved
way for the construction of a new fort by British.

The new fort was initiated by Robert Clive, which got completed by 1780. The basic purpose
of setting up Calcutta Fort William was to prevent attacks from Muslim invaders. The area
that was cleared around the fort became maidan, where several exhibitions and fairs take
place. The foundation of the old fort is still intact. Till date, it is a military area and the
Arsenal inside it is worth watching, but for that prior permission of the commanding officer is
required.
Present-day facilities at Fort William

The fort is now under the authority of the Indian Army. At present, the fort has many modern-
day facilities it offers to its residing members including swimming pool, firing range and a
boxing stadium. It is large enough to house nearly 10,000 interns and is a major resource for
the Indian Armed Forces.