Erode Fort

Erode Fort is a stony fortification of Mysore kingdom. It was persistent for a long time up to the early 19th century. The Erode fort was prepared and flourished during the reign of Hyder Ali with the population of 1500 and 300 houses. It was a very huge fort with a battalion of 400 soldiers encircled by fertile lands and coconut groves. Kaveri River formed the boundary on the north and Kalingarayam canal on the eastward boundary, and Perumpallam canal on the southern boundary.

The city centre of the district of Erode was accommodated within this equipped barricade. It was well designed and well planned fort of the emperors of Mysore, it has Kalingarayan Canal in the north, Kaveri River in the east, Bhavani Project canal in the west and Perumpallam River. In the south. The land around the fort is very productive and it was surrounded by coconut orchards.

Erode Fort is occupied by the two major temples admiring both Vaishnav and Shaiva concept of Hinduism Philosophy and a lot of houses. The business centre was established around these temples and consecutively around the fort in a set fashion of ordered houses and straight streets around the Kasturi Ranganatha Perumal (Lord Vishnu) praising the Vaishnavism and the Ardkabaleeswar (Lord Shiva) Temple, praising the Shaiva concept of Hinduism. The most significant thing is that both temples are in the same campus which shows unity of the Vaishnava and the Shaiva Sects.

Dheeran Chinamalai, was trying to take support of Maruthu brothers from Sivganga and Maratha leader in Mysore and he also deceived the association with Apppachi Gounder of Paramathi, Velur; Kumar Vallai of Perundurai Gopal Naiker of Virupatchi and many others. Dheeran Chinnamalai was a Kongu chieftain and Palayakkarar from Tamil Nadu who rose up in revolt against the British East India Company in the Kongu Nadu, Southern India. After the tough battle, Channaimalai attacked the fort a day earlier after changing his plan, this led 49 people of the company army in its execution however he was escaped but he continued his fight from 1800 to 31st July until he was hanged .Chennamalai carried on his fight against the British East India Company. The three battles fought by him were the significant battles. These are the battle on Kaveri banks at Erode fort 1801, the fight in Odanilai in 1802, and Archur battle in the year 1804. The last battle was fought in 1805 but during the fight `nallappan` a cook of Chennamalai became disloyal and informed the East India Company sepoys about his location. The British East India Company made him hang till death in Sankagiri fort which is about 20 kilometers from Erode fort.

Currently, this place has become the domicile of many houses but is still called the fort. The two temples of Lord Shiva and Vishnu are still located in it. The fort was destroyed by the British in 1880, but some of the parts of the forts were used to seal the moat providing the name `Alcazhimch veethi` or `filled Moat Street`.