It was closing in on my birthday and I was feeling like a place away from home, some place near the sea, some place with history and some place that would create calm even in retrospect. Maybe I should be looking for some place historical. I had wanted to educate myself on India, and how we had reached enough ways to entice people to experience it . Such a place came immediately to mind. Of course it was not the usual suspect but one that would stand me in good stead, since it was a good getaway from everything, remote firstly.

So Mumbai to Chennai by air, did part of the trick, booking into one of Neemrana’s non- hotel hotels did the other part. Tharambagadi, (place of the Singing waves) formerly known as Tranquebar is a sleepy little town in Tamil Nadu, which can be reached in 5- 6 hrs from Chennai and lies 15 km the north of Karaikal. It was the first Danish Port on the Coromandel Coast when they sold the colony to the British East India Company in 1845. 

Remembering history made it more interesting as we reached the ‘Bungalow on the Beach’, which is a 17th Century Danish Colonial house, situated bang next to Fort Dansborg. Nightfall made it look a bit eerie. As we turned into the barely lit compound, all we could hear was the lashing of the waves. The air seemed somewhat less common; after all it was known to have the thickest ozone layer in India.

Acquired in 2000, this property was opened only after the restoration in 2004. But it sure looked like it had been lived in well and the high ceilings matched the colonial décor. I walked into my Queen Sophia Suite almost feeling decadent. My home for the next few days was going to be beachfront and calming. Away from the madding crowd was what I had requested the Universe.

The canopied bed, matching the flowered demeanor of the bed linen accompanied by the writing desk along with mosaic flooring was enough to make me feel almost royal. The minimalist restroom with all the amenities matched the feel of the boudoir; well almost, as the four-poster bed was enriched with lace curtains. I was going to be Princess Sophia at least, if not the Queen. 

The day sprung my eyes open, as I looked agape at the expanse of sea before me from the largest curved verandah that I had ever stood on. The sea stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see in front.

My gaze fell upon the Fort Dansburg on the right, as it lay on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Second in size to only Kronborg, it was used after Independence as an inspection Bungalow. That fort was on my first tourist hit. I was obviously going to have a historical birthday to see the Archeological Museum that lay in the fort itself.

It all seemed unreal as the street opened out to more history, the old Danish Cemetery on the western side and then the Governor’s Bungalow. The Zion Church was right there too on King’s street. Fancy me standing right there in the New Jerusalem Church, the first ever Protestant Church in India. One just could not miss the First German (Barthalmaeus Zeigenbalg) Missionary’s home and the printing press on Admiral Street either. This little town was so steeped in history.

The second day, I was up pretty early, nursing my historical hangover, not knowing that I was going to do something even more spectacular. Crossing the Paper Mill street, we drove to the French heritage town of Karaikal.

Imagine sighting the temples and churches on the way, as even a mosque caught my fancy as we turned into an International Muslim pilgrim centre called the Nagoor Andavar Dargah. Strangely it had a mix of all hindu customs.

And there we were finally in the world famous Vellankanni Matha Church, the Lourdes of the East (17th century). This little hamlet is famous for the shrine Basilica that was built by the Portuguese. Little did I know that this birthday of mine I would visit the Lady who had saved the Portuguese sailors from a huge storm. 

As I looked out at the raging sea and the thunderous skies above me, I realised I might just be in the same position that day. A storm was again approaching as we began the journey back to the airport and as we spoke, the ravage had already begun. We somehow drove like the wind in those circumstances and when I reached Mumbai I realised that the damage done in Vellankanni was substantial and I had had a miraculous birthday.

I had been in the eye of the storm and was out before it hit catastrophically. A week later, the news covered that Cyclone Gaja had caused extensive damage to India’s Top Shrine, and that the state was on high alert. I was lucky to have had a beautiful experience at the Neemrana’s –Bungalow on the Beach, that made Tranquebar, a possible visit for me and I am revisiting those very memories as I go towards another year – blessed.

Image credits : Maya Lalchandani, Bungalow On The Beach, google.com