When we visited Nagapatnam in 2013 it took us a while to find Dutch the St. Peters Church, of the only remaining Dutch Reformed church.

The St. Peters Church of Dutch design in Nagapattinam

From the Dutch cemetery in Nagapatnam and the Dutch fort there is little left.

The grave with a dome of Antonia Nilo-Van Steelant near the harbour in Nagapattinam is gradullay falling apart.

The wall of the local ship yard used to be the wal ook the Dutch Fort in Nagapatnam.

The Portuguese started commercial contact with Nagapatnam during the Tanjore Nayakkas rule [Sevvppa Nayakkar] and [Acchuthappa Nayakkar] in 1554. Since then christianity began to take root, 10 -villages are taken control of by Portugese traders With the advent of Portugese Velankanni Church came into existence.

In 1658, the Dutch tried to evict the Portugese town Nagappattinam to establish the commercial centre there under the agreement reached between King Vijaya Nayakkarof Thanjavoorand the Dutch on 05 January1662.

Ten Christian churches and a hosptial were built by the Dutch. They also released coins with the name Nagappattinam; engraved in Tamil letters. Accordingto the agreement between the first Maratta King ‘Egoji’ of Tanjore and the Dutch. Naagappattinam and surrounding villages were handed over to the Dutch on 30 December 1676. Latter this town fell into the hands of the British in 1781after the prolonged struggles 277 villages with Nagur as the Headquarters were handed over to the British East India company in1779.