Udaygiri Fort: An archaeological marvel

By Sanjeev Kumar P

Have you ever heard of the Udaygiri Fort? No, it is not one of those imposing forts seen in Rajasthan, that are made of strong stone, with huge walls and tall entrances and protected with cannons, secret tunnels, etc.

This little known fort, located on the Thiruvanathapuram - Kanyakumari highway in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu has its own tale to tell. Surprisingly till date I had never heard of the Udaygiri Fort, until recently when I came across a write-up in one of the newspapers. I was eager to visit this place, which is closer to Thiruvanathapuram and falls on the popular sector of Kovalam - Kanyakumari, and I visited it on my very next trip to Thiruvanathapuram.

After finishing my work in Thiruvanathapuram, I headed straight to Udaygiri fort and hit the Kanyakumari Highway. We pulled off the road at a place called Pullioor Kurichi, to ask for directions. However, on enquiring with the locals, they gazed at me with a lost face when I asked for "Udaygiri Fort". Soon more locals came over and there emerged a discussion in the local dialect (a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam). With no result, I made another attempt, this time making an emphasis on the word "Kotta" (the Malayalam translation of fort) and suddenly I could see the entire crowd smile saying "Oh Dillanni Kotta", and each one of them offered to show me the way and clamoured to get into the car.

When we reached the entrance, it was sultry and humid and the sun was at its brightest. As I entered the fort, I could see the contrast in the surroundings between the outside of the fort and the inside. Pleasant greenery welcomes you, while a serene cool breeze and a well cemented pathway, with a high natural roofing of branches of trees on either side of the pathway leads you to an old building structure which resembles an old Dutch church. This is the tomb of De Lannoy - the Dutch naval commander, who was defeated by the then Travancore army under the King Marthanda Varma and later became the commander of the same foreign army, which had defeated him.

In the 18th century AD, the Dutch East India Company or Verenidge Oostindische India Compagnie (VOC), as a part of its expansion drive was looking at monopolising the trade of pepper and other spices to Europe. As the initial negotiation with the then Travancore Maharaja, Marthanda Varma failed, the company decided to use its military force. Its naval force under the able leadership of Commander De Lannoy sailed towards southern India and landed in Collachel in August 1741. Marthanda Varma, the king of Travancore put up strong resistance and the fierce battle of Collachel was fought in 1741. Despite the Dutch army having the advantage of superior weaponry such as fire arms, gunpowder, etc., they were overpowered by the aggression of the Travancore army. Many Dutch soldiers were killed, and a few retreated towards their ship, while De Lannoy and a few of his comrades were taken prisoner.

During his days in the prison, De Lannoy won the trust of the maharaja who later offered him a conditional pardon and release, whereby he was to train and modernise the Travancore army. De Lannoy trained the army in the European line of combat. He introduced fire arms, gun powder, etc., and also increased the strength of the king's army. De Lannoy built many forts. King Marthanda Varma, his Diwan Ramayya Pillai Dalawa, along with De Lannoy's military skill, together became a force to reckon with in the South. De Lannoy was elevated as the commander of the king’s army. It is said that being a Christian, De Lannoy was prohibited from entering the king’s palace and hence he resided at the nearby Udaygiri fort; where he built a small chapel for his family and other Christians.

The Maharaja Marthanda Varma died in 1758, but De Lannoy continued his loyalty, serving King Marthanda Varma's successor Rama Varma until he died a natural death in the year 1777. He was buried at the Chapel inside the Udaygiri fort. Even today, the locals call the Udaygiri fort "Dillani Kotta" (De Lannoy’s fort).

The Archaeological Department of Tamil Nadu today maintains the fort, which is also being developed as a bio diversity park. A large pond, a childrens' park and a lot of greenery can be seen here.

(The author is the Area Manager - Southern India, Trail Blazer Tours India and can be contacted on sanjeev@tbi.co.in)