South of Madras is Sadras aka saturangapatnam with a well -preserved citadel. | Photo Credit: Hindic Archives
If English proved to be more tough, we would go to the Dutch long ago. VOC (a long name in Dutch, which means their society in East India), was much earlier in this region than the East India we know about. And it was an important presence all over the coast of Coromandel. Their interest was mainly to trade, especially a cotton substance woven in this area. While the British were still trying to find support in Madras in 1639, the Dutch were well introduced in the Aka Pulicat, 60 km north of Madras.
Also read: Go for a walk in heritage in a pulicat to understand how Madras happened
The British raised the trade tricks by observing the Dutch, including the use of translators or Dubashes. And the first Dubash, MalayAppa Chettta, was on the duty of both companies for a while! It soon frowned and MalayAppa seemed to have withdrawn from British interests, but successfully planted her nephew in his place. The Dutch were not satisfied with the British, but the relationships between them were certainly warmer than what the French were.
There are very little Dutch heritage left in these parts. In Pulicat we have virtually none of what was Fort Geldria, but the church in the village, strikingly similar to Luz Church, survives. Rather, in excellent condition is a cemetery with lots of tombstones that have interesting carvings. South of Madras we have Sadras aka saturangapatnam with a well -preserved citadel. And in the Thiruzhukundram temple there is an inscription on the Mandapam in Dutch and records a visit to the Dutch governorate party. In the Church of St. Mathias in Vepery is a Dutch grave – the last place to expect to be. It is Martin Stoffenberg, the head of the Pulicat administration. He came to Madras to recover from illness and die here.
Of the few structures of the Dutch, which still exist, the cemetery in the pulicat, where it is possible to find tombstones carrying interesting carvings, in excellent condition. | Photo Credit: Hindic Archives
Flagstaff at the beach
For a moment in the 17th century, the Dutch and Golconda held San Thome. Their heritage was the flag of the beach that disappeared sometime in the 20th century. Now he has a replacement known as St. Thomas’!
The Dutch did well in India, but at the beginning of the 19th century, Indonesia decided to be better and ended all its operations. They left several rental words behind – Palayakat was, for example, the word for Lungis to Lungis, and that was a Pulicat connection. If you need more, find the Dutch word for the toilet – Kak Huis. There are many more.
The Dutch had a great presence in Madras at the beginning of the 20th century through the Anglo-Node Society of Shell, which came to India by merging with the oil company Burmah. The resulting Burmah-Shall was located in Burmah Shell House located on Esplanade. He still stands, although in 1975 Burmah Shell became the government of Bharat Petroleum and the building is known as Chennai House.
Return to independence
After independence, the Dutch returned, this time as partners in Indian industrialization. One of the first names does not have to be the presence in Chennai, but is still remembered through the bus stop and intersection in the Ambath – Wavin. Shortly for water and vinyl chloride, it provided much needed impulse for irrigation and water supply by producing PVC pipes. Now Wavin is in the water management and has a pan-Indian presence, but her name lives here.
After independence, the Dutch returned, this time as partners in Indian industrialization. One of the first names does not have to be the presence in Chennai, but is still remembered through the bus stop and intersection in the Ambath – Wavin, which is short for water and vinyl chloride. | Photo Credit: Hindic Archives
The permanent presence in the city, more adhered to the odor, is Maschmeijer Aromatics in ChromePet. It reminds of August Maschmeijer, an organic chemist in Amsterdam, who promoted a lot of aromatic compounds. A representative of the resulting society came to Madras in the 1950s, followed by cooperation with the Badsha family. The entity is still flourishing.
After liberalization, there is a significant presence of Dutch companies in the city. In the Netherlands there is a Dutch museum of textiles and there are several samples of fabric from this area that once brought traders from a distance.
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Published – August 22 2025 05:40
