CORNWALLIS CUPOLA, FORT ST GEORGE

         Cornwallis Cupola in the Fort Parade ground from a picture taken by Frederick Fiebig in the year 1851.  The Cupola and the statue of Cornwallis was raised by the principal inhabitants of Madras and Civil and Military personnel of East India Company in 1800 AD as a tribute to him for securing Madras from the forces of Tippu Sultan in the year 1791.  The statue was sculted by Thomas Banks of London.  As quoted in "Memories of Madras" the statue was opened on 15th May 1800 by Lord Edward Clive Governor of Madras in the parade ground in the presence of principal officers of the company amidst firing of guns from the saluting battery. It so happened that when Cornwallis came back to India to take charge of Governor General post in 1805 he passed through Madras on 6th May and was received by William Bentick Governor of Madras from the sea gate under a canopy of lined up troops upto the Cupola. An address was presented to him which was reciprocated by Lord Cornwallis. He landed in Calcutta on 30th July and after a short stint expired on 5th October 1805 at Ghazipur. The statue inside the Cupola is in Fort Museum and the Cupola itself can be seen by the side of Museum building.

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