//
Photo: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The New Jerusalem Church was built in 1718 by the German missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg. It replaced the old Jerusalem Church which proved too small for the growing local Christian population. The church has a cross-like floor plan. The Danish coat of arms is inscribed on the top of the gateway leading to the interiors of the church. The interior contains several memorial plaques and even a few graves including that of Ziegenbalg. The church is housed in a large compound which also has several graves.
The New Jerusalem Church was built in 1718 by the Royal Danish missionary Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg in the coastal town of Tranquebar, India, which was at that time a Danish India colony. The church is located on King Street, and church services are conducted every Sunday. The church, along with other buildings of the Tranquebar Mission, was damaged during the tsunami of 2004, and were renovated at a cost of INR 7 million, and re-consecrated in 2006.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
One of the most stately buildings of colonial Tranquebar it once served as the residence of the Danish Governor. It is named after Johannes Rehling and dates back to the first half of the 18th century. The building has an elegantly decorated white colonnaded facade giving it an elegant look.
Consecrated in 1701, it is the oldest Protestant Church in India. Prominent with its combination of colonial and Indian architectural features, its construction together with the fortification of the town marked the moving out and spreading of the Danish population into the surrounding settlement. The structure went through many reconstructions before it reached its present form.
Tharangambadi Maritime Museum is housed in the former residence of the Danish Commander. The 18th-century bungalow. It was restored by the Danish Tranquebar Association. It now houses the Tranquebar Maritime Museum. The museum contains a remains of an old ship along with boats and other maritime artifacts. Also, there is a section dedicated to marine creatures. A golden statue of Ziegenbalg stands at the entrance of the museum. The statue was put up in 2006 to commemorate the tercentenary of his landing. Plaques both in English and Tamil mention the achievements of Ziegenbalg.
Small cemetery that holds the whitewashed graves of several Danish colonial officials and tradesmen. Don't expect a Danish style cemetery as found in Copenhagen. It is a small compound with a locked gate and several headstones standing forlornly in a barren patch of land.
The colonial bungalow once served as the residence of the Governor of Tranquebar. It overlooks the sprawling open space known as the parade ground. The Bungalow has been restored and there are plans to put it into some adoptive reuse.
Ziegenbalg Press
The press where Ziegenbalg printed his first Tamil Bible still stands and is located inside a local school. The printing press is displayed along with the printed copy of the first Tamil Bible. The handwritten Tamil Bible by Ziegenbalg is also on display. The press is still functional and one can gets his name printed in Tamil by using the blocks made by Ziegenbalg.