Forty-three-year-old Basheer Ahmed, who owns a shoe outlet on Anna Salai in Fort Town, would never visit his shop during the day on Sundays. He would task his employee with opening the outlet, and would join him only late in the evening to check the day's sales.
This is because he wanted to maintain his morning routine, which involved taking his family, including two children, to the sprawling fort complex, especially its wide lawn.
The COVID-19 lockdown in May abruptly ended his routine.
On Sunday, Mr. Basheer was elated as he was able to take his family to the fort’s lawn once again, following the reopening of museums and heritage places.
Residents thronged the fort complex in large numbers. It has been the most frequented tourist spot in the town for many years.
Before the lockdown, the fort had around 1,500 visitors on an average every day.
The footfall doubled during the weekends.
“Unlike other tourist spots like the Amirthi mini zoo, the fort is located at the centre of the town, making it easily accessible. It also has many tourist spots on its premises for all age groups," said S. Venkatesan, a resident.
Spread across 135 acres covering a three-km radius, the fort was built by Chinna Bommi Reddy and Thimma Reddy Nayak in 1566.
It comprises 58 buildings, including a temple, a church and a mosque.
Separate museums
The fort also has separate museums run by the State Archaeology Department and the ASI (Chennai Circle), depicting the history of the town from the Pallava period to pre-independent India. Except the parapet wall of the fort, the temple and the mosque (protected monuments), the other buildings, including mahals and the British-era church, are heritage structures dating to the 18th century.
First Sunday
“Since this was the first Sunday after it was reopened on July 5, the fort witnessed huge crowds of mainly local families, as it is their big, free recreational facility in the town. Steps have been taken to maintain social distancing and ensure mask wearing, including by children," said M. Varadaraj Suresh, Archaeological Officer, ASI (Vellore).
Many visitors, including senior citizens and children, prefer to spend most of their time on the lawn in the fort. The parapet wall is another most-visited spot, especially by youngsters, as its 20-metre width allows them to take selfies with their friends and family.
