Kattabommankottai Fort

HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS :

Vira Pandya Kattabomman, a Nayak chiefman, who ruled with Panchalankuricht as his capital, towards the end of the18 th century is celebrated for his valour and heroism. While agreeging to come to an honorable settlement, he refused to accept the supremacy of the British and to pay any taxes of them. The British decided to capture Panchalankurichi. An army under allan failed miserably to capture the palace. Jackson, the District Collector of Thirunelvell, subsequently tried to arrest Kattabomman by dubious means, but said the penalty.

In 1709 a powerful contingent under Colonel Banerman resieged the fort of Panchalankurichi. A number of British solidlers lost their es in the battle. A place in Ottapidaram, containing a number of tombs of those who fell in the battle, bears witness to this battle.

Kattabomman was produced to abandon the fort. He was treacherously arrested and handed over to the British Colonel Banerman, after a mock trial, hanged Kattabomman at ayattaru

Within a year, Kattabommu's younger brother, familiarly known as the pumb hero of Panchalankurichi repaired the Panchalankurichi fort and asumed the leadership. The British, in 1801, again invaded Panchalankurichi. maidurai inflicted heavy casualties on them. A place is Panchalankurichi mantains the tombs of over 45 British soldiers who lost their lives in the battle However,the fort fell and nothing more was heart of Umaidurai.To British this time destroyed the fortand the palace

Remains of Kattabommans palace

The excavation revealed that the main palace had its entrance facing east, at the southern end. The entrance was flanked by six rooms, there on each side.There was a square pit about one and a half metres in depth lined with lime plaster, probably intended for storing grain. A passage with a slope to the north led the visitor to the audience hall, which is the most impressive part of the structure.

The Kalyana Mandapam lying adjacent to the audience hall has at the centre a square Platforms and raised platforms all round with an intervening passge The central platform the enclosing platformand the flooring were plastered with fine lime mortar.Running around this Kalyana Mandapa hall was row of sixteen rooms of various dimensions which had only mud earth flooring

At the northern end connected to the east-west passage were retangular room of which one was a kitchen, having traces of an four oven and shes.To the west of main palace remains of another big structure were nearthed. This had' a big central court, square in shapein shape with four stone pillar cases in the centre.It has only a mud flooring.Running around the court was platform and a few rooms.The centralcourt had an entrance at the south number of rooms were found on the eastern side of the building