Fort Dansborg, Tranquebar, Tamil Nadu, India
This is a 17th century Danish fort that faces the east coast of India. This fort is an important monument for the Danes in India as it is one of their few successful settlements in India. Well, successful yes, but not without a lot of hardships for them.
This was where the pepper trade route to Denmark began. First, they faced trouble from the locals, then from the then Chola kingdom and later the British. But, in between all this, the Danes set up Fort Dansborg as a base to establish their colonial presence in India.
Today, this fort exists in not so great colours, but the museum within, hosts a collection of colonial artefacts that throw light on its rich history from as early as 1620.
This fort, built by Danish captain, Ove Gjedde, was a self-sufficient area then, with strong military capability, food storage, accommodation and entertainment facilities. In fact, it was the residence and headquarters of the governor and other officials for about 150 years.
The Danes left Denmark in search of Sri Lanka and the far east, but the monsoons and other hardships brought them here. A lot of ships left Denmark, but only a few people survived the tough sea journey to arrive here and set up base.
The museum depicts the entire Danish history very well. The ships that came here, the captains who made it, the partnerships with the Indian kings and the trade route have been well documented.
Apart from the historical importance of this monument, the Fort Dansborg is also a great place to catch the sunrise over the Bay of Bengal, admire the views of the estuary of Kaveri’s (Cauvery river) tributaries and be one with nature in overall.
