Skywatch Friday... Dutch live on

After ages, am back on the Skywatch Friday wagon today... All thanks to a conversation I had with a friend about Tranquebar. It has been over 2yrs since I was there last, and I do wish I get to do another drive down the Coromandel Coast... [Fingers & toes crossed]

Tranquebar (Tharangambadi as it more commonly known) is a small town in Nagapattinam district, about 45kms from Chidambaram and 15kms north of Karaikal. The name literally translates to "a place of the singing waves". It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and today a getaway destination for many. There is a Danish Fort, Church and the Governor's Bungalow to see, apart from the shimmering ocean. 

The architectural journey of Tranquebar can be traced back to the 14th century Masilamaninathar Temple built during the Pandya Regime. Then come 17th century colonial fort and 18th century churches. 21st century sees the crumbling heritage structures being restored by INTACH. This involves The Bungalow on the Beach , Gate House, Shiva Temple, façade restoration of St. Theresa’s Convent, former Danish governor’s residence and Goldsmith Street houses. Entry to this town is through an impressive two hundred year old Town Gate built with a Danish allure.  [Info courtesy : Tranquebar.in]

Canon facing the ocean in front of the Fort

 The Dutch Fort, as you enter the complex

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Skywatch Friday, The sun rises over Tranquebar

I havent done Skywatch in weeks and so decided to resume today. Last year around this time was when i did the Coromandel coast trip, and what a journey it was. I spent a few minutes reliving the memories through the pictures and these few caught my eye. 

I was in Tranquebar, and it was the day before my Birthday. Woke up early [for some reason, i always rise earlier than usual when am travelling] and was standing in the Balcony looking at the ocean, and caught a peek of the Sun as it was rising. Quickly rushed down to the beach to see if i could capture it all as it happened. 

Tranquebar (Tharangambadi as it more commonly known) is a small town in Nagapattinam district, about 45kms from Chidambaram and 15kms north of Karaikal. The name literally translates to "a place of the singing waves". It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and today a getaway destination for many. There is a Danish Fort, Church and the Governor's Bungalow to see, apart from the shimmering ocean. 

The architectural journey of Tranquebar can be traced back to the 14th century Masilamaninathar Temple built during the Pandya Regime. Then come 17th century colonial fort and 18th century churches. 21st century sees the crumbling heritage structures being restored by INTACH. This involves The Bungalow on the Beach , Gate House, Shiva Temple, façade restoration of St. Theresa’s Convent, former Danish governor’s residence and Goldsmith Street houses. Entry to this town is through an impressive two hundred year old Town Gate built with a Danish allure.  [Info courtesy : Tranquebar.in]

The Bungalow on the Beach, the Neemrana property is so palatial, it had me feeling like a Royal Princess- a 4 poster bed, huge room, high ceiling, antique furniture and every room opened out to the ocean. What a beauty the place and experience was.

 

The property from the beach.

As i walked along the shore, letting the waves wash over my feet, the sun rose slowly and steadily. It appeared as if the sun was emerging from the waves going up into the sky. Was quite a moment.. The cool breeze, silence all around me [apart from the few kids who were running around]. Was a magical moment, i was lost in my own world... almost like floating away in a bubble.

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Skywatch Friday...The Port city

Allowing the road to direct the journey, i found myself in the port city of Karaikal I drove along the narrow road all the way to the beach, where i found a few men bringing in fish from their fishing venture. And there were few others waiting for the catch to bid and take some to the market.Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was formerly part of French India. Together with the other former French enclaves of Pondicherry, Yanam, and Mahé, Karaikal forms the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

The stench of fish was quite overpowering, and i strolled along the water, catching a glimpse of the evening sun against the colourful boats bobbing up & down in the water. 

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Skywatch Friday- Where they meet

"Poompuhar welcomes you" was the signboard i saw up ahead. We were really here and headed towards the delta. The town bore a sleepy look, probably because it was a Sunday afternoon. I remember studying about Cauvery poompattinam back in high school Tamil lessons.

  

There were a few kids running about, some playing cricket under the blazing sun, while others sat around half asleep. As we drove on, we passed by three arch ways- 1st was Nalan, then came Dhamayanthi, and there was a 3rd one, i cant recall the name on it though [will come back update once i do remember].. Finally, we reached the road that ran parallel to the delta, all the way to a small temple. 

We parked the car and began walking on the sand, the sun beating down on the us the whole time. The sand was nearly black in colour, but fine as can be. At a distance we saw the Cauvery river where a couple of fishermen were taking a quick bath before heading home for lunch. And on the left, we saw the ocean, the waves gently sweeping into the delta and welcoming the river. What a beautiful sight that was. it formed a small canal of sorts with sand shore on either side. A man i noticed came walking from the other side, wading through the water towards us.  

The sand we were walking on was fairly soft, wet, and looked like it would cave into the ocean any moment... It was quite a memorable moment being there, soaking it all in.  With not a single soul in sight, i enjoyed being there with nothing but a few crabs trotting about on the sand and the sound of the gentle waves.

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[Skywatch Friday]- Where Mangroves rule the water

The journey through the green fields and empty roads took me to the place that is home to the 2nd Largest  Mangrove forest in the world.. I was at Pichavaram, about 15-16 kms ahead of Chidambaram.  It should take about 4hrs from Chennai [Chennai--Pondicherry- Pichavaram- Chidambaram]

The backwaters interconnected by the Vellar and Coleroon rivers is home to these rich green Mangroves that stretch for miles together. The water canals that run like little roads between the forests offer a hideout for birds and other creatures. To explore further, one can enjoy a boat ride that is quite popular among the tourists. if you are lucky, you might witness the fish flying out from the water, sometimes into the boat in the process.

There is a tower from where one gets a full 270degree view of the Mangrove forests and the ocean beyond as well.

Pichavaram has also been featured in quite a few movies, the most recent being the opening scene from Dasavatharam starring Kamal Hassan.

From Wikipedia-

The Pichavaram mangroves are considered among the healthiest mangrove occurrence in the world. Pichavaram consists of a number of islands interspersing a vast expanse of water covered with green trees. The area is about 2,800 acres (11 km²) and is separated from the sea by a sand bar which is a patch of extraordinary loveliness.

The Pichavaram mangrove biotope, consisting of rare species like Avicennia and Rhizophara; presents a special attraction, with its peculiar topography and environmental condition. It supports the existence of many rare varieties of economically important shell and finfishes.

The Pichavaram mangroves attract an appreciable bird population of residents, local migrants and true migrants. Amongst others, one can view birds like Watersnips, Cormorants, Egrets, Storks, Herons, Spoonbills and Pelicans. At the mangroves, so far, 177 species of birds belonging to 15 orders and 41 families have been recorded. The season for birds is from September to April every year.