|
St.Thomas Fort (once known as Forte de São Tomé) was built by the
Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque for the protection of the newly
developed trade. In 1505 the Portuguese established a trading port here,
and in 1518 established its sovereignty through the construction of Fort
St. Thomas. Later in 1661 the town and the fort were handed over to the
Dutch who made it the capital of Dutch Malabar.
The Dutch occupied the fort for several years. In 1795, the British
East India Company took possession of the fort. In 1823 Fort St. Thomas
accepted a lease by Travancore from the British Government for a period
of twenty years.
Fort St. Thomas was originally around 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. Today, the
remains of the fort, popularly known as "Tangasseri fort" remain facing
the beach. The government of India has taken over the fort and it is
being considered an historical landmark. Restoration of the fort is
ongoing. At present, the fort is managed by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI).
Getting There
St.Thomas Fort is very close to the ancient settlement at Tangasseri and
the lighthouse. Kollam Port is very close to this heritage site. The
city of Kollam is about 5 km away.
Considering Kollam as the entry city to the lake, nearest airport is the
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, 71 km (44 mi) away and by
road to almost all important centres in Kerala and the rest of the
country. National Highway 47 (NH 47) passes through the lake periphery
not only from Quilon but also to other locations on its bank from
Thiruvananthapuram to the northern towns of Kerala.
Southern
Railways network of metre gauge and broad gauge lines connects with
Quilon and to all important centres in the rest of the country. The
metre gauge train journey from Quilon to Chennai via Madurai is stated
to offer a picturesque journey.
|
