Tharangambadi aka Tranquebar
A Danish settlement of yore on Tamil Nadu's Coramandel Coast where the waves of the Bay of Bengal dance away...
Trankebar
A multi-ethnic settlement from the colonial times - Tharangambadi in Mayiladuthurai District is a quaint hamlet, 120km south of Pondicherry. It dates back at least to the 14th cent CE as per the inscriptions found in the temple structure dedicated to Siva, built by the Pandya king, Maravarman Kulasekara Pandian.
Tarangambadi: A view of Town GateFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
A peek into its past
At that time it was a fishing hamlet that was referred to as Kulasekarapattinam, Sadangambadi, Thyangambadi and Tharangambadi as well.
By early 17th century, all the big West European naval powers had already established settlements in peninsular India and the Danes were the last to enter the fray.
A view of Tranquebar (c. 1658) by unknownSkokloster Castle
First Danish Settlement in India
Tranquebar aka Trankebar was the first settlement of the Danish East India Company after striking a deal with Raghunatha Nayaka of the erstwhile Thanjavur Nayaka Kingdom in 1620.
A century later in the mid 18th century came two others viz. Serampore at Chandernagore, Bengal and the Nicobar Islands. Sadly, lady luck didn’t smile for long on the Danish dream and soon the India trade ran into rough weather.
Tarangambadi: A view of the Dansborg fort from the eastFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
By mid-19th century, just as the Dutch wound up their India dream so did the Danes and sold out to the British East India Company. For a mere 12.5 lakh rupees in 1845, after ruling it for 225 years!
Tarangambadi: A closer view of the Town Gate, built in 1792Friends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
The Town Gate or ‘Landporten’ in Danish was built in the 1660s as part of the fortifications that was demolished and rebuilt in 1791 by the governor, Peter Anker and executed by the engineer Muhldorff. It stands tall inviting visitors to this day, thanks to the restoration.
Tarangambadi: A view of the Courtyard in Dansborg FortFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
The Magificent Dansborg Fort
Built in 1620 - it is the second largest fort built by the Danes and overlooks the dancing waves of the Bay of Bengal and had a moat in its heyday. It also had a factory that minted silver and copper coins from 1730. Today it houses a museum with Nayaka and Danish artefacts.
Tarangambadi: A View of Dansborg Fort - the second largest Fort built by the DanesFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
A View of the Parade Ground
This area used to buzz with various official parades, processions and commercial activities.
Tarangambadi: An upclose view of the Town Gate as we enterFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
A Deserted Hamlet
Tharangambadi barely survived as a deserted hamlet for over the next century and a half until the catastrophic Tsunami of 2005.
Tarangambadi: A View of damaged part of Dansborg near the SeaFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
View of remains of Dansborg by the Bay
The damage to the remains of the Dansborg Fort, and the ghost town of Tranquebar caught the attention of the Danish blue blood and things finally began to change.
Tarangambadi: A view of the Restored buildingsFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
The restoration by the State Archaeology Dept, GoTN along with technical expertise of INTACH, Pondicherry funded by the BestSeller Foundation, Danish Tranquebar Association and the Danish Royalty has over the past decade rekindled interest in this once forgotten piece of colonial history.
A view of the restored buildings
The restoration has brought alive the quaintness of Tranquebar.
Statue of Ziegenbalg
Among the first Protestant missionaries to set foot in India were two Lutherans from Germany, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau in 1705, to establish a mission on the order of the King. Ziegenbalg translated the Old and New Testaments into Tamil, imported a printing press, and printed the New Testament in Tamil in 1714.
Tarangambadi: A view of the New Jerusalem Church, built by ZiegenbalgFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
New Jerusalem Church
Ziegenbalg built the New Jerusalem Church in 1718 as part of the Tranquebar Mission. This elegant structure was destroyed by the Tsunami of 2004 and since restored as part of the restoration project along with other buildings of the Mission.
Governor's Bungalow
This dilapidated building was also restored to its old glory. Today, it stands shining as it did over 200 years ago, housing a beach resort. In the background, the 14th cent Masilamani Nathar Koil can be seen, the oldest structure in Tharangambadi.
Tarangambadi:The Governor's bungalow by the beachFriends of Heritage Sites, Tamil Nadu
The stately Governor’s Bungalow by the beach was built between 1776 and 1784. It was the summer residence of the British Collector.
Buildings with unique Tamil Danish vernacular architecture
Tap to explore
From a desolate hamlet, Tranquebar is now a favoured destination for cognizant heritage tourists!
Dr. V. Vedachalam - Images and text
Prof. V. Selvakumar - Images and text
Sharmila Devadoss - Images and text
Dhruva CKV - Text
INTACH Pondicherry - Images and text
Malathy Krishna - Tamil Translation
Sivakumar K - Technical Support
