Driving down the Coromandel Coast - Part 3
We are back at the coastline as I bring you the last leg of my journey
down the Coromandel Coast . A quick recap here for those who have
just joined me on the trail.We left Chennai and drove down to Sadras
in Part 1 and then we continued towards Pondicherry where we crossed
Alamparai and the salt fields at Marrakkanam in Part 2. I now bring you
guys back to the coastline where we will visit more erstwhile colonies
of the colonial era.
The traffic shakes us out of our reverie as we continue towards Cuddalore,
an ancient port which wears the mask of an industrial town. We leave the
bustling town and delve into the past. The old town presents itself, boasting
of a Roman connection. But in Cuddalore, was the very foundation of the
East India Company .The seas have witnessed battles fought between the
arch rivals here .We skim through layers of history and learn that Fort St David,
an erstwhile fort on the banks of the river Gadilam was the headquarters of the
British before Fort St George in Chennai took over. A passer by tells us that this
fort was under the control of the Marathas and it was later on bought over by the British .
The story goes that the purchase was decided based on a shot from a gun.
The area which came under the range of the canon included the entire town
and Cuddalore became a British settlement.
We move on as canons echo in our ears as we take another detour to
enter a crowded town.“ This is where the Parangis stayed , so its called
Parangipettai,” says a school teacher with whom we have a cup of tea at a
local stall.” In Tamil, Europeans are called Parangis, but this small port is a
trade centre for the Arabs and the Yemenis. Parangipettai or Porto Novo as
it was called by the Portuguese was also colonized by the Dutch and English .
I couldn’t find any ruins here, but I heard that the Nawab of Arcot minted the
Porto Novo Pagoda, the gold coins from here. I leave another noisy town and
move on towards Tranquebar or Tharangambadi.
The breeze lifts our spirits. We know we are getting there. The roads
get narrower as we finally get to hear the music from the sea shore.
Tharangambadi means just that – the town of the singing waves. And
as we walk towards the waters, the lilting tune haunts us. The waves
gently stroke the rocks which seem to be a remnant of an old wall. The
beach is littered with colourful boats .The nets are scattered as the kids
run around. A big Indian family jump on to a boat and take pictures , while
a few enjoy a swim. Couples stroll around as I watch the skies come alive
with the evening colours .
Tharangambadi or Tranquebar (Trankebar) as this Danish settlement
was called found its way in the history map in the 17th century when the
Danish East India company built the Fort Dansborg . Today the fort , with
a Scandinavian feel about it opens out into the sea and is now a museum
that tells a story of a busy port which has now become a wind blown village.
We take a heritage walk with Asai, an architect from INTACH who are
doing their bit to preserve the unique architecture here which is a blend
of European and Indian styles. When we enter the portals through the “ “
Landporten” or the town gate, we walk into a past that has a washed out
charm. The gateway sports the Danish Royal seal and leads us through
a row of colonial bungalows and ancient churches.
Asai takes us on a historic trail. He says that in 1620, a Danish fleet
landed here and the captain identified it as a strategic trading centre.
The village was then ruled by the Nayaks from Thanjavur . A deal was
struck between the king, Vijaya raghunatha and the Danish admiral Ove
Gjedde. A small strip of an insignificant fishing hamlet was leased from
the king for an annual rent of Rs 3111 and Trankebar was created with
the Dansborg Fort built right in the centre of it. While the Danes traded
in spices and silks it was finally sold to the British for Rs 12.5 lakhs in 1845 .
The quaint streetscapes lend an old world charm. We walk down the
small bylanes called King street, Queen Street, Goldsmith Street where
buildings have been restored. “To begin with the bungalows of the British
Collector and the Danish Governor ,” says Asai pointing to the Bungalow
on the Beach which is now a sprawling mansion overlooking the beach.
“The latter is next on our agenda,” he adds.
The tsunami he says swallowed close to four streets in this lost forgotten
town and he takes us to see the ravaged Masilamani Nathar temple, the
oldest monument that has survived in Tranquebar, An inscription says that
this partially eroded temple was built on a land granted by King Maravarman
Kulasekara Pandian in 1306. The village was then referred to as
Kulashekarapattinam or Thayangambadi.
We walk with Asai to the 18th century Zion Church, the oldest protestant
church of India . The New Jerusalem Church, he says was built a bit later
by german missionaries Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau
who translated the Bible into tamil . The trail ends near the beach as we see
many tattered monuments waiting to be restored.
It is dusk and the melody from the waves reach a crescendo. We sit on the
rocks and watch the sun set sipping a hot ginger tea when I hear a haunting
tune from the past. The little snippets of history from these forgotten ports play
in my mind. The passage of time may have eroded their identity and they may
have slowly faded away from the political maps , but the glory of these long lost
towns would probably never fade away . Its hidden , waiting to be discovered…
Thanks for joining me in this journey. It would be wonderful of you
travelled with us as well.Travelwise, managed by Arun and I will soon be
doing a trail in Tamil Nadu. Windows and Aisles, the inflight magazine of
Paramount Airlines published this story in their December issue.
down the Coromandel Coast . A quick recap here for those who have
just joined me on the trail.We left Chennai and drove down to Sadras
in Part 1 and then we continued towards Pondicherry where we crossed
Alamparai and the salt fields at Marrakkanam in Part 2. I now bring you
guys back to the coastline where we will visit more erstwhile colonies
of the colonial era.
The traffic shakes us out of our reverie as we continue towards Cuddalore,
an ancient port which wears the mask of an industrial town. We leave the
bustling town and delve into the past. The old town presents itself, boasting
of a Roman connection. But in Cuddalore, was the very foundation of the
East India Company .The seas have witnessed battles fought between the
arch rivals here .We skim through layers of history and learn that Fort St David,
an erstwhile fort on the banks of the river Gadilam was the headquarters of the
British before Fort St George in Chennai took over. A passer by tells us that this
fort was under the control of the Marathas and it was later on bought over by the British .
The story goes that the purchase was decided based on a shot from a gun.
The area which came under the range of the canon included the entire town
and Cuddalore became a British settlement.
We move on as canons echo in our ears as we take another detour to
enter a crowded town.“ This is where the Parangis stayed , so its called
Parangipettai,” says a school teacher with whom we have a cup of tea at a
local stall.” In Tamil, Europeans are called Parangis, but this small port is a
trade centre for the Arabs and the Yemenis. Parangipettai or Porto Novo as
it was called by the Portuguese was also colonized by the Dutch and English .
I couldn’t find any ruins here, but I heard that the Nawab of Arcot minted the
Porto Novo Pagoda, the gold coins from here. I leave another noisy town and
move on towards Tranquebar or Tharangambadi.
The breeze lifts our spirits. We know we are getting there. The roads
get narrower as we finally get to hear the music from the sea shore.
Tharangambadi means just that – the town of the singing waves. And
as we walk towards the waters, the lilting tune haunts us. The waves
gently stroke the rocks which seem to be a remnant of an old wall. The
beach is littered with colourful boats .The nets are scattered as the kids
run around. A big Indian family jump on to a boat and take pictures , while
a few enjoy a swim. Couples stroll around as I watch the skies come alive
with the evening colours .
Tharangambadi or Tranquebar (Trankebar) as this Danish settlement
was called found its way in the history map in the 17th century when the
Danish East India company built the Fort Dansborg . Today the fort , with
a Scandinavian feel about it opens out into the sea and is now a museum
that tells a story of a busy port which has now become a wind blown village.
We take a heritage walk with Asai, an architect from INTACH who are
doing their bit to preserve the unique architecture here which is a blend
of European and Indian styles. When we enter the portals through the “ “
Landporten” or the town gate, we walk into a past that has a washed out
charm. The gateway sports the Danish Royal seal and leads us through
a row of colonial bungalows and ancient churches.
Asai takes us on a historic trail. He says that in 1620, a Danish fleet
landed here and the captain identified it as a strategic trading centre.
The village was then ruled by the Nayaks from Thanjavur . A deal was
struck between the king, Vijaya raghunatha and the Danish admiral Ove
Gjedde. A small strip of an insignificant fishing hamlet was leased from
the king for an annual rent of Rs 3111 and Trankebar was created with
the Dansborg Fort built right in the centre of it. While the Danes traded
in spices and silks it was finally sold to the British for Rs 12.5 lakhs in 1845 .
The quaint streetscapes lend an old world charm. We walk down the
small bylanes called King street, Queen Street, Goldsmith Street where
buildings have been restored. “To begin with the bungalows of the British
Collector and the Danish Governor ,” says Asai pointing to the Bungalow
on the Beach which is now a sprawling mansion overlooking the beach.
“The latter is next on our agenda,” he adds.
The tsunami he says swallowed close to four streets in this lost forgotten
town and he takes us to see the ravaged Masilamani Nathar temple, the
oldest monument that has survived in Tranquebar, An inscription says that
this partially eroded temple was built on a land granted by King Maravarman
Kulasekara Pandian in 1306. The village was then referred to as
Kulashekarapattinam or Thayangambadi.
We walk with Asai to the 18th century Zion Church, the oldest protestant
church of India . The New Jerusalem Church, he says was built a bit later
by german missionaries Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau
who translated the Bible into tamil . The trail ends near the beach as we see
many tattered monuments waiting to be restored.
It is dusk and the melody from the waves reach a crescendo. We sit on the
rocks and watch the sun set sipping a hot ginger tea when I hear a haunting
tune from the past. The little snippets of history from these forgotten ports play
in my mind. The passage of time may have eroded their identity and they may
have slowly faded away from the political maps , but the glory of these long lost
towns would probably never fade away . Its hidden , waiting to be discovered…
Thanks for joining me in this journey. It would be wonderful of you
travelled with us as well.Travelwise, managed by Arun and I will soon be
doing a trail in Tamil Nadu. Windows and Aisles, the inflight magazine of
Paramount Airlines published this story in their December issue.
