Travel Photo of the Day: Tranquebar, India

Locally called Thrangambadi, the town of Tranquebar is mostly under the waters of the Bay of Bengal. Of what remains from the past, there is an 8th century temple and a 17th century Danish Fort. Apparently, this is one of the few places where the Danes were able to make a settlement into India. This town on India’s east coast offers bit of an off-beat trail for those of you who are planning a holiday to Pondicherry, Chidambaram and/or Thanjavur.

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Pondicherry: Vibrant Getaway on India’s East Coast

During the colonial days, unlike the British, the French did not have a lot of control over India. But, they did manage to stamp their authority in one small town on the East coast of India. This town, Pondicherry, a union territory located in the Tamil Nadu state of India is a vibrant concoction of rich Tamil culture, great beaches, a very visible French architecture, the site for meditation and calm and great French and Tamil food.



All these attributes ensure that Pondicherry is a hot favorite both with the domestic and foreign tourists. In fact, such is the diversity of this place that it is a very popular weekend getaway from the metropolitan cities of Chennai and Bangalore. For the young traveler, Pondicherry appeals due to the low cost of alcohol and good beaches. For the seasoned travelers, the French style colonial architecture, good French wines, great food and interesting culture keep them interested. For those who seek solitude or calm, head to the Auroville Ashram in Pondicherry.



There is so much that one can do here that you need multiple weekends here or even better if you have an extended holiday. With good road and rail networks, Pondicherry is very well connected with the rest of the country. And the hotels in Pondicherry span from a simple budget hotel to a colonial bungalow to beach side retreats making for a great set of options to choose from.



For those holidaying here, they need not just be limited to this seaside town. Instead, they can explore the UNESCO World heritage seashore temples at Mahabalipuram (about 50 kms north of Pondicherry), the massive Chidambaram Natarajar temple and one of the prime seats of Shaivism in India (about 70 kms south of Pondicherry) and/or the remote Danish town of Tranquebar (about 110 kms south of Pondicherry).



If temples and history, appeal to you, then you have lots of options in neighbouring Tiruvannamalai or at Kumbakonam, the capital of South India’s temples. The best part about all this is that you can base yourself at Pondicherry and explore all these places as part of multiple day trips, according to your convenience and choice. There are many budget hotels in Pondicherry if you are a budget traveler. If you are not one, then the rich collection of Pondicherry hotels will ensure that you are spoilt for choices.

Go ahead and enjoy this rich and diverse town on India’s East Coast!!

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Tranquebar – The Tale of the Submerged City

One can find a lot of information about Tranquebar on the internet. It’s historic Dansborg Fort, the 17th century British Collector’s Luxury Bungalow, its unique stretch of beach, colonial buildings and churches, Danish history and the 14th century Masilamani Nathar temple all get a lot of mention. But, there is something that you can find only when you visit this beach town in person. And that is the tale behind this submerged city.

 
The locals will tell you that about a kilometre and a half of the city lies submerged. And even better is when they show you the tied up boats in the open seas that mark the true boundary of this coastal town. The boats act as buoys that alert ships and fishing vessels about the danger underneath.

 
And all this because of rising sea levels worldwide. The locals don’t recommend anyone swimming within this cordoned area, but I was wondering if we could dive with our scuba diving equipment and get a chance to see how this submerged town looks from the inside. May be someone has done this. I am guessing that the Archaeological Society of India must have definitely done something on these lines.

 
If permissible, I would have loved to dive here, but didn’t find any infrastructure that allows such dives. And that is the tale of the submerged city, that used to be one of Denmark’s strongest colonies in India.

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Tranquebar’s Different Beach Line...Thanks to Global Warming and Climate Change!

Here the beach is not rocky like in Pondicherry or Kanyakumari. Nor is it sandy like most of India’s west coast. Instead, the waves of the Bay of Bengal crash against the bricks that used to be the historic Danish city of Trankebar. Thanks to global warming and climate change, only a small portion of the brickworks breathe in the atmosphere. Rest of them remain below the water’s surface.

 
This brickwork from the era gone by is what creates an unique aura at Tranquebar (Tharangambadi). Tharangambadi is a small seaside town situated on the east coast of India, about 100 kilometres south of Pondicherry.


The feeling of being one with nature becomes ominous if one were to climb these brick walls. And if it is high tide time and you are the at the edge of brick walls that jut out into the sea, then you are greeted with foamy spray that promises to give you a mad thrill. Swimming is also possible, though only in small recommended pockets. The rest of the beach is considered unsafe for swimming unless you are well versed with the terrain underwater.

 
But that is not the end of it. This beach line has other charms too. It has a small golden sandy stretch that is enough for relaxed beach walks. This is where the locals and tourists alike come to soak in the seaside atmosphere. This golden beach is right in front of the Dansborg fort that towers in the background.


The fishermen community are also based on this beach. After all, the entire town of Tharangambadi revolves around this small beach line. Typical beach line stalls, though much smaller in size can be seen here selling food and snack items. And the umpteen fishing boats moored on the beach here act as seats for the beach lovers.

 
This different beach line at Tranquebar truly forms an unique experience. Let’s hope that the beach remains as it is and global warming and climate change do not take this amazing nature’s gift from us in the future.

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Fishermen at work

The fishermen’s villages, colonies and their working areas on the beach all form an interesting experience. These places form an assortment of colours and look vibrant throughout.


Whenever I personally visit these fishing colonies, I get to learn new things. In fact, I have learnt about tides and times, fishing techniques, boat building techniques and others from such fishing communities.


And whenever, I am in a coastal town and/or close to the shores, I make it a point to visit at least one fishing village.

 
This time when I was visiting the Danish beach town of Tranquebar, I got to see the fishermen in usual and different light. As high tide started setting in, the local fishermen got our their fishing gear. Within a short while, they had caught quite a bit of catch.


As darkness set in, other local fishermen ventured towards the rocks and into crevices without any light to come out with large crabs.


In the evenings, you can see a lot of maintenance work in progress. Be it the stitching of fishing nets or the periodic maintenance of the fishing boats, they all form an interesting and knowledgeable experience.


Even better if you can converse in the native tongue of the fishermen. That way, you not only get to see interesting stuff, but also get to hear about it straight from the horse’s mouth.

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