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Seaside sojourn

Photos: Soma Basu

Danish charm Take in the sights of the waves and soak in the colonial ambience

THE BUNGALOW ON THE BEACH

TranquebarUSP: An idyllic getaway

near the sea

It is well past midnight when I enter the small beach town of Tranquebar, now called Tharangambadi. The drive in through a ‘Land Gate’, takes me to another age and time. Under a moonlit sky I see Danish relics with their washed-out charm. Rows of colonial structures on the main King Street lead to the beach. I pass by an elegant Zion Church (1701), an elaborate New Jerusalem Church (1718), the battered 18th-Century Danish Governor’s bungalow and the British Collector’s residence — this last building is my night’s halt.

Over 165 years old, it was in ruins till the Delhi-based Neemrana group transformed it into a heritage hotel. And, its name? “The Bungalow on the Beach.”

Tranquebar

Here, history stares at you from every angle. The ‘Dansborg’, a 17th Century Danish fort, is a beautiful square brick building standing majestic on the beach. The once-grand Masilamani Nathar Temple built in 1305 A.D by Pandya King Kulasekaran almost crumbles into the sea.

I am the only guest in the elegant eight-roomed hotel. The lone staffer awake is keen to show me all the rooms. Past midnight, I am in no mood to explore. But, the music of the waves flows into my ears and I request for one on the first floor facing the sea.

I throw in my luggage and plonk on those olden-day arm chairs, eyes fixed on the waves. Many of the rooms are named after ships that sailed from Denmark to Tranquebar between 1620 and 1708. Mine is ‘Queen Anna Sophia’. I simply “float off” to slumber.

Tranquebar

In the morning, I discover how charming my room is. Everything is antique — century-old pillars and wooden ceilings, exquisitely carved wooden almirah, a wooden four-poster cot — and evokes the beauty of a bygone era.

I step out and see only ruins all around. A Danish settlement between 1620 and 1845, Tranquebar went to the British who could never win its heart.

Bungalow manager Kiran takes me around the property, a perfect example of intelligent conservation using minimum, and carefully chosen vintage furniture, paintings and artefacts. Over a filling breakfast, Kiran tells me how the tsunami ravaged the beach town the very next day after the restored property was inaugurated. It also washed out the rooms in the ground floor of the hotel. Three months of repairs later, it reopened, yet again.

Tranquebar

Once outside, I run into a few Danes, all in search of history. Apparently, most of the buildings built by their ancestors are facing decay and efforts are on to restore them. I return to the bungalow for lunch, and find that chef Senthil has laid out a sumptuous French-Danish fare. After a delectable meal, I sit in solitude in the verandah before taking leave of this enchanting place.

SOMA BASU

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