Danish legacy springing back to life

SUSHEELA NAIR writes about Tranquebar, the only remaining pocket of Dane culture in India.

Tamil Nadu abounds in hidden treasures and destinations, relatively unknown to a large multitude of tourists. In the course of my wanderings along the Coromandel coast, I stumbled upon the erstwhile Danish outpost of Tranquebar or Tarangambadi. It is a somnolent fishing hamlet with a wonderful beach in Nagapattinam Quaid-e-Milleth District. This beach town is the only remaining pocket of Dane culture on the Indian sub-continent.

Exploring it was like walking into the pages of history. A landgate with a deep baroque archway inscribed with the Danish Royal insignia and the year 1792, herald a welcome to this “little piece of Denmark.” The archway leads into Kongensgade, King’s Street lined by solid colonial houses, all with pillared verandahs and cool inviting inner courtyards.

The New Jerusalem Church, a serene, white–tiled shrine bearing the royal crown on its façade and the year 1718, is the first Danish-built structure that greets the eye on entering King's Street. The churchyard also holds the grace of the first Danish missionary, Bartholomeus Zeigenbalg, who arrived in 1706 and built this church, just over a decade later. Ambling through the streets, I saw the portly bust of Bartolomeus Ziegenbalg at the Lutheran Teachers’ Training College. He was the first Protestant missionary to the port, to establish the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran church. The missionary resurrected printing which had faded after its introduction by the Portuguese.

Incidentally, Tranquebar has another claim to fame- the first Tamil Bible was printed here. The Dansborg fort, stuccoed churches, temples, missions, mosques, public buildings, spacious houses of traders and officials are indeed a heritage buff’s delight. The Governor’s Bungalow (used as the residence of the Danish governor in 1784), the Collector’s House built in the colonial style, and other Neo-Classical buildings in a town which at one time housed 150 Europeans are other faded Danish landmarks. There is a cemetery where rest Danish descendants.

Approaching the far end of the street, I could hear the waves lapping against rocky shores. Close to the shore is a memorial to the landing of the Danes. A few metres away, on the sea front, is the oldest monument in Tranquebar– the Masilamani Natha Temple built in 1305 by Kulasekara Pandiyan. Gravely threatened by the sea, what remains today is the skeleton of the outer pragaram of the temple and the Masillamani swami statue is a huge Siva Lingam whose face shines though it has not seen the polishing oil for years! Further on are the remnants of the breakwaters, a sad reminder of the havoc by the raging sea.

On the sands of the seashore, the Dansborg Fort stands in stately dignity– a mute witness to a chequered history as well as a poignant tribute to Ove Gedde, the visionary captain of a fleet of five Danish ships who came sailing across the high seas in 1620 and founded Tranquebar. He negotiated with the Nayak king of Tanjore the lease of the port in exchange for 18 iron cannons. Four years later, the seaport became the property of the king of Denmark. Tranquebar was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, when it was transferred to the British. Denmark sold Tranquebar to the English East India company for 1,25,000 pounds in 1845.

Not long afterwards, Tranquebar lost its importance as a trading colony and its glory. Dansborg was in fact one of Denmark’s biggest forts. Atop its ramparts stood powerful cannons that pounded over the waves. By 1755, the rough seas destroyed much of the fort.

Tranquebar was designated a special tourism area in the early 90s. The Danish legacy is springing back to life thanks to the combined efforts of the Tranquebar Association, the State Archaeological Department and the Central government. A portion of Fort Dansborg and the Land Gate have been restored.

There are plans to get Tranquebar recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Neemrana group has spruced up the Governor’s House as a heritage hotel. The Queen of Denmark has also made a liberal donation. Tranquebar is a classic example of a colonial settlement getting renovated through the erstwhile European occupants. Restoration will boost tourism and signal better times for the village and its inhabitants.