Tharangambadi (Tamil: [t̪aɾaŋgambaːɖi]), formerly Tranquebar (Danish: Trankebar, pronounced [ˈtsʰʁɑŋkəˌpɑˀ]), is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary named Uppanar of the Kaveri River. Tranquebar was established on 19 November 1620 as the first Danish trading post in India.
King Christian IV had sent his envoy Ove Gjedde who established contact with Raghunatha Nayak of Tanjore. An annual tribute was paid by the Danes to the Rajah of Tanjore until the colony of Tranquebar was sold to the British East India Company in 1845.Tharangambadi is the headquarters of Tharangambadi taluk. Its name means "place of the singing waves"; the old designation Trankebar remains current in modern Danish.
Tharangambadi is located at the distance of 285 km from Chennai. The nearest airport is at Tiruchirapalli international airport at 172 km and the nearest port is at Karaikal at 26 km. It is served by Tharangambadi railway station.
Tranquebar is better known with its local name, Tharangambadi, so ask for bus/taxi for the same.
Tranquebar is small enough for you to easily be able to walk around and the entire area can be covered in 3-4 hours. If you are a true history buff and want to see all the sites like the remains of Peter Anker's country house and gardens or the Governor's Mansion in nearby Porayar, it may make sense to hire a pedal bike. If you're starting from Pondicherry, its possible to start and return from Tranquebar the same day.
The place dates back to the 14th century. Masilamani Nathar (Shiva) temple was built in 1306, in a land given by Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I. Until 1620, when the Danes came, the place was part of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. Danish admiral Ove Gjedde felt the place would be a potential trading centre, made a deal with Raghunatha Nayak, and built a fort, which is known as Fort Dansborg. Fort Dansborg was the residence and headquarters of the governor and other officials till 1845, when along with Serampore in West Bengal, it was sold to the British.
The Danish converted the sleepy fishing hamlet into a colonial town complete with European-styled mansions and churches. Today the Danish Fort of Dansborg still dominates the Tranquebar skyline and the fortified town still has its share of colonial charm and legacy. The coastal town complete with forts, churches and colonial buildings is surrounded by high walls complete with bastions and stands as a colonial island surrounded by a rural landscape.
