Alamparai Fort

Edakalinadu, India

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Alamparai Fort, located near Edakalinadu (also called Edaikazhinadu) in Tamil Nadu, India, is a historic 18th-century coastal fort built during the Mughal era between 1736 and 1740.

It served as a vital port and trade hub under Nawab Dost Ali Khan of the Carnatic, featuring a prominent 100-meter-long dockyard used to export goods like zari cloth, salt, and ghee. The fort was gifted to the French East India Company in 1750 as a reward for their support but was later captured and destroyed by the British in 1760 during the Anglo-French Carnatic Wars.

Alamparai Fort's ruins reveal its robust granite architecture and once expansive layout with watchtowers offering panoramic views of the Bay of Bengal. The site suffered additional damage in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and while the fort remains partially dilapidated, it draws visitors for its scenic ocean views, historical significance, and as a filming location for Tamil movies. Restoration efforts are ongoing to preserve this culturally important monument.​