Short break From Chennai Tranquebar

mastered Tamil and translated the Bible. + YS His golden statue, with Bible in hand, DA looms large even today, at the corner of VIRTUALLY THERe 2 King and Queen Streets. Place of the For the armchair traveller In 2004, the tsunami claimed the lives of a tenth of Tranquebar’s population and destroyed Log on to the Tamil Nadu tourism many homes. Many fisher folk now live in website for a 360-degree virtual tour government-built mass housing at the edge of of Tranquebar. This interactive feature Singing Waves the village. Efforts are underway to restore the replicates the experience of walking village’s mixed Indian and European architec- through the streets of the former Danish A former Danish colony on the Tamil Nadu coast | By Kalpana Sunder ture, through organisations like INTACH and the colony. It is rich in detail and allows the Danish Bestseller Foundation. viewer to stop and explore sights like the Dansborg Fort, the New Jerusalem Church, the Masilamani Nathar Temple, EXPLORE and even saunter at the rocky beach. Users can click and choose the direction laze For the laidback traveller, Tranquebar they want to walk in, enter buildings is heaven. Curling up on an old armchair with and enlarge curious objects along the comes pretty close (www.tamilnadu- a book, watching the breakers bounce off the way. A virtual tour cannot compete with tourism.org and http://view360.in/ craggy rocks and the colourful fishing boats an actual visit to Tranquebar, but this virtualtour/tharangambadi). in the distance, is just one option. A twilight stroll on the boulder-strewn beach is relaxing, as are moments of quiet rumination spent sit- there are several well-known places of worship dargah of Saint Hazrat Meeran in the seaside ting upon the ramparts of the fort. Most visitors within a radius of 50 km. Chidambaram (45 town of Nagore (25 km/40 minutes) is an impor- come to Tranquebar to enjoy its tranquil and km/90 minutes) is home to temples of the tant pilgrimage site for Muslims. The water in the under-the-radar quality–watching the sun set dancing god Nataraja, while the 11th-century holy tank is supposed to have curative powers. as fishermen head home with the day’s catch temple at Thirukkadaiyur (30 km/1 hour) is or looking out for migratory birds. Many hotels where Lord Shiva is said to have annihilated Walk about History buffs can take a walk- organise boat trips on the Uppanar River (10 Yama, the god of death, to save Markandeya ing tour though the town (INTACH has a walking mins from Fort Beach) to have a picnic lunch at and bestow immortality on him. In Velankanni map which most hotels can supply). Begin at a small, uninhabited island. (38 km/1 hour), a Christian town known as the the town gate or the Landporten (as it is called Lourdes of the East, is the renowned shrine in Danish) which is the first sight that catches Soul curry For the spiritually inclined, Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health. The the traveller’s eye upon reaching Tranquebar. (CHURCH OF VELANKANNI) OF e (CHURCH c k/india p i ctur

Fort Dansborg houses a museum that he town gate of Tranquebar, palms of the fishing village complement l a I P-B jee (STATUE),

contains Danish manuscripts, terracotta with the royal Danish insignia that image, while the salty tang of the ocean tt e r objects, figurines, and even part of a inscribed on it, is like a portal and the cries of sea gulls mingling with whale skeleton.

that admits visitors to a different strains of Tamil music complete it. A BH C h a UR

T A era. From the midst of rural Tamil Nadu, The village’s Danish connection began travellers are suddenly transported into a in 1618 when an admiral, Ove Giedde, historical oddity—a former Danish colony. landed on the coast and fell in love with its Called Tharangambadi (the place of the tranquillity. The Danish acquired trading

singing waves) before it was renamed by rights from the Maharaja of Tanjore and S RUINS), (DANISH the Danes four centuries ago, this town built a fort here to strengthen their slice of S was a prosperous trading port. Tranquebar the pepper trade. They lived in Tranquebar is 15 km south of the ancient Chola town until 1842, when they could no longer afford of Pumpuhar and a six-hour drive from to maintain overseas colonies, and sold it to Chennai. The old name, which is still in use, the British East India Company. a m anian E INDIA P I CTUR A L MY/ ubr is evocative and lyrical, painting a picture A printing press was set up here in the a S a Ziegenbalg (left) was the first to translate the Bible into Tamil; The of lives played around the vagaries of the early 1700s by the German Lutheran mis- annual feast at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health (above) in r Sanka waves. The thatched cottages and swaying sionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg—who Velankanni attracts over a million visitors every year. view/ india

168 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012 JULY 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 169 Short break From Chennai Tranquebar

It has the royal Danish insignia with the year residence of the British Collector, now a restored Culture vulture Visit the new Tranque- also under Neemrana management (04364- 1792 inscribed on it (which was the year the old boutique hotel with high ceilings and vintage bar Cultural Resource Centre in a renovated 289034; doubles `600; dorm for `150). damaged gate was demolished and replaced furniture. On the beachfront at the southern end Tamil house at the end of Goldsmith Street. The by a new one). Lining both sides of King Street, of the village is the ancient Masilamani Nathar Centre has been started by Upasana Design Stu- there are colonial era buildings, carriage porches Temple built in 1305. Ravaged by the battering dio, a socially-responsible design and garment EAT and stucco walls, a fort and majestic churches. sea, it was already fighting a losing battle, when manufacturer from Auroville, with the intention Rehling’s House, a colonnaded house at the the 2004 tsunami damaged it further. Finish of reviving the culture and crafts of the village. Food options are limited. The Bungalow on the western end of the street, used to be the Danish the walk at the barren Danish Cemetery with Through training and marketing, the local popu- Beach has Continental food and some Chetti- Governor’s residence. Next to it is Van Theylin- its whitewashed graves on Kavalamettu Street lation is being encouraged to revive their skills nad dishes on a fixed menu (`450 per head). For gen house, which is home to a small maritime (parallel to King Street). with palm leaf, bamboo, coconut shell and ter- some simple South Indian food, head to Karthik museum. racotta and turn them into livelihoods. Sip coffee Mess near the bus stand (93607 68763). The Further south on King Street is the dilapidated at the small cafe and peruse the souvenirs. Cultural Resource Centre Cafe serves honey Zion Church, which was one of the first Protes- crepes, lemon cakes and iced tea (Goldsmith tant churches of India, with both Indian and colo- Street, opposite Nayak House; 04364-289160; nial architectural features. Opposite it is the New STAY www.upasana.in). n Jerusalem Church that was built when German missionaries arrived in 1718. It houses the grave There are upmarket as well as budget options, of Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg. offered by the Neemrana Hotels group. At the eastern end of this street is the mustard- Bungalow on the Beach A colonial bungalow coloured Fort Dansborg that was recently with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Rooms renovated. It faces a beach manned by food are named after Danish ships which docked in vendors and ice cream stalls. This was the resi- this town (97861 00461; www.neemranahotels. dence of the governor and other officials, and com; doubles `4,000). also a prison and warehouse; it was built in the Gate House A lovely bungalow just inside the en- Scandinavian military style with stone walls and trance to the old town with a Danish facade and mounted cannons. The museum inside (open Tamil interiors (04364-289034; www.neemrana- Sat-Thurs; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.) has quirky exhibits hotels.com; doubles `3,000). that range from whale skeletons to fossils, Nayak House This restored Tamil home on Gold- ancient coins, palm leaf manuscripts and old smith Street has four simple rooms arranged treaties between the Danish and the Indian king around a central courtyard (04364-289035; Maravarman Kulasekara Pandian. www.neemranahotels.com; doubles `1,000). Opposite the fort, across King Street, is the Chettinad chicken has a thick gravy that is Hotel Tamil Nadu This is a budget hotel with A monument in memory of Ziegenbalg and Plütschau (left), the first Protestant missionaries Bungalow on the Beach, once the summer slow cooked with coconut and cashew nuts. rooms and dormitory accommodation; it is to India; The town gate (above) welcomes visitors with a Danish emblem.

THE GUIDE

Orientation car allows visitors the flexibility to make Tranquebar(Tharangambadi) is on the day trips to the nearby religious centres TO CHENNAI Coromandel (east) coast,280 km south and towns. of Chennai and 128 km east of Tiruchira-

) veranda palli/Trichy, in Tamil Nadu state. Season Tranquebar is a warm coastal town Getting there where the minimum temperature ranges G (MAP) NA CH ( hotel Air There are daily flights from Chennai between 21-26°c and the maximum to Trichy, the nearest airport (128 km/4 between 29-36°c. The weather

TH E B EA ON hours from Tranquebar; taxis `3,000). is most pleasant from August

OW Road Tranquebar is 280 km/6 hours- to March. Though it can get hot A L from Chennai (taxis `5,000). Govern- in summer (April-July), sea breezes TRANQUEBAR (GATEWAY), URM I M A L (GATEWAY), ment buses leave daily from Chennai make it bearable. During October ko c ko Mofussil Bus Terminal (`350) and private and November, heavy rain and some- King Street operators from behind CMBT (`750). times cyclones as well, can be expected.

Rail Nagapattinam (35 km/45 minutes) a h m C h a Dansborg N G ), BU chicken curry Abr

and Chidambaram (40 km/55 minutes) Need to know ), are the nearest stations. The overnight • The beach is crowded on Fridays TO TRICHY Nagore Express from is convenient. when the fort is closed and people from cross

neighbouring villages visit it. R. Uppanar jee (

Getting around • Be careful while swimming. There are tt e r

e ( p i ctur A L MY/india The most convenient way to get around only a few recommended pockets—the

town is to walk or hire a bicycle. Having a rest of the beach is unsafe for swimming. a bh C h ur a T I M H LL/ Bungalow on the Beach is a shore front colonial bungalow that is now a hotel. s

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