A bungalow & a gate - Tranquebar

Continuing my series on the landmarks in Tharangambadi. 

The Danish Governor's Bungalow

The colonnaded facade of the Governor's Bungalow

The Danish Governor's Bungalow was built around 1784. It was a private residence but later bought over by the Danish government to be made into the official residence of the Governor. It supposedly housed 33 successive Danish governors and subsequently the Sessions' Court, the Salt Office and a part of the post office under Bristish rule. 

When I visited, there was work going on as part of the restoration process started in 2008. The building seems to have been in a very dilapidated condition before work began, therefore it's no wonder the work continues. The transformation as you can see for yourself is wonderful and I imagine, painstaking.

The dilapidated bungalow before restoration

A view of the courtyard inside the bungalow

A view of the massive doors (>8ft at least) &
all the way through various other doors

There are plans to convert the bungalow into a cultural centre for the public with a library, an exhibition area as well house a shop and restaurant. 

A view of the fort & the sea beyond it from
the terrace of the bungalow

The Governor's Bungalow is situated on King's Street opposite the Dansborg Fort and just a few metres away from Neemrana's Bungalow on the Beach. 


The Gate

The town gate through which you enter Tharangambadi of old is a narrow arched structure. 

The gate was originally built in the 1600s but was torn down and rebuilt in 1792 which still stands today. Of course, the town has grown around it and there are other ways to get into Tharangambadi but it's as quaint as the town and worth a look. 

The Gate House hotel, another Neemrana property, got its name from this landmark and is another restored heritage property.

Dansborg Fort - Tranquebar

The Dansborg Fort was built in 1620 AD in Tranquebar or Tharangambadi, the Land of the Singing Waves. It is supposed to be the second largest Danish fort after Kronberg (in Denmark and the inspiration for Shakespeare's castle in Hamlet). The fort has an impressive facade and overlooks the Bay of Bengal. It is remarkably well preserved, probably due to restoration work done to it in 2002 and 2011. 

Overlooking the Bay of Bengal

The fort was constructed mainly as a military base keeping in mind accomodation, kitchens, granaries, stables, freshwater wells, armoury and even a jail. It also has a set of rooms on the first floor which were used as the Governor's residence and also included administrative offices, a rectory, a church and guard rooms. The Governor later moved home to a larger, smarter bungalow located opposite the fort. Today, one portion of the fort's upper storey houses a museum with some interesting artefacts from those times. 

Artefacts in the museum

Various sections on the ground floor

There is also a tunnel which has partially collapsed and is not usable anymore. According to the official version it supposedly leads from the inside of the fort to the Uppannar river about 300m away. It was possibly meant to be a quick getaway incase the fort was taken over by hostile forces. But local tales say the tunnel leads all the way to Tanjavur, about a 100Kms away. :) The authorities have blocked the way due to the fear of further cave-ins and resident snakes and other creatures. 

The fort is not as large or embellished as some of the Mughal or Rajput ones scattered across India. But it is impressive and reassuring in its solidity. Having survived the last 400 years including the 2004 tsunami, the Dansborg Fort continues to look out across the Bay of Bengal while keeping a watch over the town. 

Another relic preserved from the past

Note: From what I can remember, the fort is open to the public from 10AM to 5PM on all days except Friday.

A place where the waves sing

Centuries of colonial rule have undoubtedly left an indelible mark on India. There are pockets where the remnants of the erstwhile colonial masters are more pronounced than the rest of the country - Pondicherry, Mahe, Chandannagore, Lutyens Delhi etc. India certainly had her share of European masters - the British, the French, the Dutch, the Portuguese and even the Danes. The Spaniards are conspicuous by their absence. Maybe Columbus' voyage in the wrong direction had something to do with it. :D Anyway, I digress. 

In a corner of South India is one such town - Tharangambadi or the 'Land of the Singing Waves'. An erstwhile Danish colony it is also referred as Tranquebar, the name bestowed by its European masters. Approximately 120 kms south of Pondicherry Tharangambadi lies along the Tamil Nadu coastline, a little before the port city of Karaikal.

The Neemrana property - Bungalow on the Beach - where I had booked myself is located right by the Bay of Bengal and next to the Dansborg Fort. Checking into the hotel was sheer pleasure after the long road trip from Chennai (more about the property in a later post). 

A little background on the town

In the 17th century, Tharangampadi was part of the Tanjore province ruled by King Raghunatha Nayak. He gave the Danes permission to build a trading centre here. According to a booklet I picked up at the hotel, the original agreement document, a gold sheet with the king's signature is still around and preserved in the National Archives in Copenhagen, Denmark. The rent was fixed at Rs. 3,100 per month, approximately.

The Danes, soon, bought Tharangambadi from the King and set about establishing their presence in the country. In 1845 AD they sold Tharangambadi to the British. Soon after, the British opened up other trading routes in the area and the town became relegated to the pages of history.  

Tharangambadi lies in Nagapattinam district, one of the worst affected areas in the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck India in 2004. Since then the people of Tharangambadi have painstakingly rebuilt their lives and livelihoods with support from various associations, NGOs and governments. 

The Danes continue to have a presence in Tharangambadi today by supporting restoration and maintenance of some of the colonial landmarks constructed by them.

Some of the sights I visited: 

Dansborg Fort - Tranquebar

A bungalow & a gate - Tranquebar

• The Governor's Bungalow
• The Town Gate

A temple, a church & a graveyard - Tranquebar

• Masillamani Nathar (Shiva) Temple 
• New Jerusalem Church
• Old Danish Cemetery

Tharangambadi is a small town with all its major landmarks within walking distance of each other (I wish I had found this really cool map by INTACH before my trip). The streets retain their old names - King's Street, Queen's Street, Admiral Street etc. and houses their colonial architecture. 

A quaint town, it doesn't get many tourists and is relatively quiet and pleasant. Traffic is zilch (literally!) when compared to other places. You can hear no honking, barely a bike or two and the air is clean and pure. Incidentally, Tharangambadi claims to have the thickest ozone layer in India. :) 

The beach is beautiful and stretches as far as the eye can see. If you spend enough time by the beach either early in the day or in the evenings, you can see the fisher-folk with their boats, repairing the nets or sorting fish. 

It was with some reluctance that I left Tharangambadi. I could have sat there day and night by the sea listening to the waves soothing my city woes away. The waves truly sing.

Note: You can drive down from Chennai (like I did) - Approx 300 Kms away. If you plan well you can make brief stop overs at Dakshina Chitra (like I did) and Mahabalipuram (like I did not!) on the way. You can even combine it with Pondicherry, its more popular neighbour and a tourist hot-spot, approx 120 Kms from Tharangambadi. 

The nearest airport, an International one, no less, is at Thiruchirapalli (Trichy), approx 145 Kms away. Jet Airways and Air India ply domestic routes but it's best to check before planning since flights to non-metros are constantly at the mercy of the powers that be. 

All photos posted here were shot on my MotoX (Google) phone camera. Even I am amazed at how well they have turned out. :)