The gateway that leads to the former Danish enclave of Tharangambadi (earlier Tranquebar), 285 km south of Chennai, is diminutive and not half as imposing as the myriad archways that dot the highways of rural India. Painted in dazzling white, it offers no visual relief either. The Danish royal seal and coat of arms on the pediment, so clearly visible in old sepia-toned photographs, are hard to spot in the whitewash. The entrance to Tharangambadi is a prime example of how multiple agencies are trying to come to terms with preserving the multiple legacies of this old town.
The Gateway to Tharangambadi.
The Danes arrived in Tharangambadi or the Land of the Singing Waves in 1620, on the invitation of the Nayak ruler of Thanjavur, and established their first trading post in India. The 24-year-old Admiral, Ove Gjedde, who led the expedition set about building a fort, Dansborg, which was the second largest Danish Fort, next only to Elsinore of Hamlet fame. Danish officials and merchants lived inside the citadel and traded with China and East Indies for more than 200 years before relinquishing their post to the British in 1845. It is this maritime legacy of 225 years that Danophiles chiefly want to restore and preserve.
Making new the old
Danish Tranquebar Association (DTA), a society of private volunteers, was established primarily with this motive. Started by four like-minded friends in 2002, it has 200 members now and is at the forefront of restoring old buildings in Tharangambadi. Even before DTA was established, there was considerable Danish interest in the legacy and heritage of the remote seaside town. In the 1980s, survey teams of Danish historians and architects made detailed studies and took painstaking measurements of the important buildings. These are available in the library of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and constitute an important point of reference.
Governor’s Residence.
DTA gave a formal structure to the restoration efforts and, more importantly, was able to raise funds back in Denmark, including the royal family’s patronage. DTA was quick to earn the trust of the local population when it rushed to their aid during the 2004 tsunami that created large-scale havoc in the district. Funds raised in Denmark were used for new boats for fishermen, and subsequently to build a protective barrier along the coast. This trust that DTA gained was vital because many of the mansions it wanted to restore are privately owned. The finest example of DTA’s work is the restoration of the Governor’s Residence, arguably the most splendid building in Tharangambadi, with a striking façade of eight imposing columns.
Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg
But it is the town’s maritime legacy that Danophiles and DTA are clearly more invested in. It is evident from the time and resources they have put into underwater surveys off the coast to detect old sunken or lost ships. For Indians though, there is another, and probably a much bigger, legacy to be cherished. Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg arrived in Tharangambadi in 1706 as the envoy of King Frederick IV of Denmark.
First of all
Ziegenbalg was from the Lutheran Church, schooled in German Pietism. Within days of arrival, he had started his evangelical efforts. This didn’t go down well with the Danish merchants and officers ensconced inside Fort Dansborg since they did not want to get entangled with the lives of the locals. In fact, they imprisoned Ziegenbalg for four months on a frivolous charge. This did not diminish his evangelist zeal, however, and he founded the first Protestant Church of India. Ziegenbalg quickly learned Tamil and translated the Bible , the first translation in an Indian language. There are many other firsts credited to him.
Ziegenbalg is a folk hero among the locals. Many identify him as Tamil and not a white man. But the Danes don’t consider him one of theirs. Last year, when Ziegenbalg’s former residence was inaugurated as a museum, it was the attaché from the German consulate who attended the function. The schism between Germany and Denmark was out in the open, and Ziegenbalg is now celebrated as a champion of Indo-German heritage.
Besides DTA, there are other agencies that have played a part in the efforts to restore Tharangambadi. Chief among them are Bestseller Fund, a philanthropic society based in Denmark, and the Puducherry chapter of Intach, as well as the Archaeological Society of India (ASI). Each has carved a niche for itself but they are often at loggerheads when it comes to funding the works.
Bestseller’s efforts are to find jobs for the locals in traditional arts and crafts, Intach transformed a Danish bungalow into the upmarket hotel, Bungalow on the Beach, while ASI restored the Dansborg fort.
A godown now
For most day-trippers, Tharangambadi begins and ends with Fort Dansborg. Its outer walls are now covered in a kitschy Jaipur pink and within it, information and objects are arranged haphazardly. The cellars that once held ammunition and liquor now store paint cans and debris. It is an underwhelming experience.
Zion Church
Another important stakeholder is the Church. Of the town’s two important churches, the older one, Zion Church, was built in 1701, rebuilt in 1782, and renovated in 1840. It was here Ziegenbalg administered Lutheran baptism to five Indians in 1707. Diagonally across is New Jerusalem Church, established in 1718 to accommodate the growing Lutheran congregation that found it uncomfortable sharing space with the Europeans. New Jerusalem Church thus has the distinction of being the first Protestant Church in the country. Ziegenbalg, who passed away in 1719 aged 37, is buried here.
New Jerusalem Church
Zion Church is now under the control of the Church of South India, which is short of funds and totally dependent on Danish support. Consequently, it retains much of its old, authentic interiors and furniture. On the other hand, Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church, which controls New Jerusalem Church, regards it as more Indian than Danish and is constantly at loggerheads with DTA over improvement projects.
A major roadblock in restoration has been the difference between the aesthetic sensibilities of the East and West. For the occidental mind, preserving heritage is synonymous with freezing time and leaving things as they were. The Indian mind, on the other hand, is not averse to a bit of improvement here and there. For Indians, restoration and renovation are the same. Earliest records suggest that the mansions on King’s Street, the principal axis of Tharangambadi, had flat balustraded roofs and colonnaded porticos in tune with the European classicism of that era. Flat roofs were the first casualty; since they were difficult to be waterproofed, they made way for tiled saddle roofs at the expense of an open terrace where pleasurable evenings could be spent. After the tsunami, concrete was the obvious choice to rebuild, but this was opposed by Danish architects who held the material in contempt. There were also rumours that DTA was buying up damaged houses so they could rebuild them to their own liking.
Amidst the overwhelming maritime and Christian legacies stands a small shrine of Shiva on the rocky shore. The Masilamani Nathar temple dates to the Pandian era and was built in 1306. Badly damaged during the tsunami, it was restored and renovated through the joint efforts of many, but it’s still fighting a losing battle against the sea.
This is Tharangambadi, a curious cauldron of restoration where too many cooks are trying hard not to spoil the broth.
A chemical engineer, the writer believes he is an ordinary person with extraordinary pursuits.
