Manora Fort

Located at the Sarabendraraja Pattinam, the fort overlooks the Bay of Bengal in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Touted as one of the oldest forts in the whole of India, the fort is built in the Dravidian architectural style by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II. The fort was built during 1814–1815 to commemorate the proud advance that the British force was able to achieve over the force of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The architectural importance of Manora Fort:

Manora Fort principally adopts its name “Manora”, from the corresponding English word “Minaret”. From the nearest shore, the hexagonal tower, which is built within the fort, is an 8-storied building, which is about 23-meters tall, looking over the majestic Bay of Bengal. With eaves, circular stairways, and arched casements that disconnect one storey from another, the fort looks just like a flawless North Indian pagoda. The Fort consists of many common rooms used for stationing troops, and walls of the fort have standard height at all the sides. Effectively incorporated with large doors and windows, the rooms are designed high-quality ventilations, making the stay even better and comfortable. The fort also has impeccable water supply system making effective use of the ponds nearby. Adding exceptionally to the beauty of this magnificent structure is the coast that surrounds one sides of the fort. Purely built on the Dravidian architectural style, the fort does not take any element from other architectural styles as the French, Islamic or the British.