Ethnographic Studies

Tharangampadi – or Tranquebar -  is a medium-size Indian village of around 7.000 inhabitants, including the nearby hamlets and settlements to the north and west. The village hosts a series of trades with fishing off the coast of the Coromandel and fishing related activities as main occupations.  The majority of the population belongs to the Hindu community of fishers. Other large groups include Dalit, Christian and Muslim communities of different occupations.

Over the last decades, Tharangampadi has also developed into a destination of heritage tourism. Some of the old streets and colonial buildings have been thoroughly restored and offer a glimpse of colonial grandeur.

Like in most other villages in the region, religious and caste differences play a telling role in the interactions between Tharangampadi’s residents. Caste segregated habitation is often the norm with each caste living in a separate street or parts of the village.

With six elementary and secondary schools and two teachers’ training institutes, Tharangampadi is a local centre of education. The majority of schools are Christian and led by the Catholic St. Theresa’s convent and by the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC), the latter is a descendant of the Danish Tranquebar Mission. Several of the schools were founded by missionaries in the Danish era of the village’s history.