Manora fort awaits renovation as tourist season nears

The Manora fort, a 22.3-metre tall and nine-storeyed structure, built in 1814 AD by the Maratha King, Serfoji II on the east coast road near Pattukottai and its surroundings is still waiting for refurbishments as the season for tourists to flock in nears this summer.

Evidences exist that Chaluvanayakkanpattinam has been a maritime port along with the Manora fort during the Maratha period. Manuscripts from Saraswathi Mahal library indicate that there were many ships frequenting the port including one named ‘Brahadeeswara’, named after the presiding deity of Thanjavur big temple. However, the maritime port now looks desolated, after being hit by the Cyclone Gaja. The only remains are the recently built light house and some anchored boats, along with a settlement of fishers.

Though the tourist department has built a shelter and a children’s park abutting the Manora fort, the inflow of tourists is meagre. The apathy of the Archaeological department, which is entrusted with the maintenance of the Manora has resulted in the children’s park in dire need for maintenance.

Additionally, there is no drinking water booth or a shop where tourists could buy water to quench their thirst. Off late, the State Archaeological Department has started renovation works on the structure. The borewell sunk for fetching good quality water for construction purpose would also be used to provide drinking water for the tourists,authorities said.

There is also a plan to renovate the children park, the Archeological department officials added. The people of Thanjavur and adjoining district who have access to limited number of tourist spots wish the renovation to be completed before the summer holidays so that they can pay a visit to the historical monument located near the sea.

The hexagonal structure which was built in the village once called as Chaluvanayakkanpattinam, now rechristened as Sarbaendrarajapattinam, was built by the Maratha King, Serfoji II (1787-1798) to commemorate the Britain’s victory over Napoleon Bonaparte at Leipzig during 1813 war.

The memorial has inscriptions in Tamil, English, Marathi, Telugu and Persian describing the purpose of buildingthe memorial.

The Manora fort and its basement were being put into use for several purposes and this has been manifested through the complex features including a moat (acting as a water barrier), secret cellars, store house for trading commodities, a military gym, a ship dock yard, a library for defence personnel with books on military exercises. According to historians, it was also used as a lighthouse for the sea vessels during the days of yore.

The structure of Manora is similar to the minarets of Nagore Durgha, the columns found in Maratha palaces in Thanjavur, Tiruvaiyaru which were built earlier, says historian Raju Poundurai in a book co-authored with M Rajaram. The Manora has the look of a Deepasthamba (Stand of lamps), he further states.