Friday 17 March 2017

Jerusalem Church, Zion Church, Tharangambadi and Bethlehem Church, Porayar and Holy Rosary Church, Tharangambadi, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu.

17th March 2017.
JERUSALEM CHURCH, THARANGAMBADI ( TRANQUEBAR )
Tranquebar, "The Queen of the Coromandel Coast" has rich traditions and a glorious past. It is the symbol of the Portuguese - Danish - French - English heritage. The first Protestant Christian Missionaries, Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau; sent by the Danish King Frederick IV to preach the Gospels, landed on the shores of Tranquebar on 9th July 1706 CE. and laid the foundation of Protestant Christian Churches in India. The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church was thus born in 1919 CE.  They established schools, Homes and convert many locals to Christianity.  The New Jerusalem Church was built in 1718 CE. at Tranquebar followed by the construction of the Bethlehem Church at Porayar.

Both Jerusalem Church and Bethlehem churches are Protestant churches established by the Danish missionaries.

HOW TO REACH:
Tharangambadi is on the main Road between Mayiladuthurai to Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Velankanni

LOCATION OF THE CHURCH     :CLICK HERE

FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS       CLICK HERE









ZION CHURCH, THARANGAMBADI, ( TRANQUEBAR )
This Protestant church is very near to the Danish Fort.This was  consecrated in 1701 CE, which is the oldest Protestant church in India. In 1718 CE,

HOW TO REACH:
Tharangambadi is on the main Road between Mayiladuthurai to Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Velankanni

LOCATION OF THE CHURCH :CLICK HERE 


BETHLEHEM CHURCH, PORAYAR
This the 258 years old church built in 1746 CE, one of the oldest Protestant Church  in the whole Asia. Bishop of Tharangambadi ( Tranquebar ) Rev Father T Aruldoss rededicated in the year 2004.

The Tranquebar Bishop Manickam Lutheran College is situated near the church campus and this geographical proximity very much symbolises the close association of the Church and the College reflecting the synthesis of divine and human values

HOW TO REACH:
Poraiyar is on the way to Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Velankanni from Mayiladuthurai and Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE CHURCH  :CLICK HERE

FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS    :CLICK HERE









HOLY ROSARY CHURCH, THARANGAMBADI ( TRANQUEBAR )
From the inscription tablet
Tranquebar is an ancient Danish settlement and was once an important seaport and the headquarters of the Collector. The fort was built in 1620 CE by Ove Gedde on behalf of the Danish East India Company. In 1624 CE it became the property of the king of Denmark to whom the Company owed money.The land for the fort and then the settlement was obtained by captain Rodant Crape  through his influence with the then Nayak king of Thanjavur. It was a favour done to the Danes by the king for their help in beautifying the big temple of Thanjavur.

The first protestant mission to be founded in India was in Tranquebar in 1706 CE by one Zealous missionary called Ziegenbalg. He built the new Jerusalem church 1718 CE.

Earlier the Roman Catholic missionaries had been  there on the east coast. Among these they particularly noticed one RC Beschi ( Rev Fr Beschi S J ). For efficiency in Tamil, he was in and around Tranquebar and wrote a book in Tamil வேத விளக்கம்about the year 1730. Before the Danes came there was a Catholic Church at the gate of the fort. The present church at the gate of the fort was built in 1701 CE. In 1726 CE when Herr Attrup was commandant catholics received permission to build a chapel at Sathangudi in honour of St Francis Xavier, a great Catholic missionary in the middle of the 17th century Padroado ( Goanese ) missionaries from Goa founded the catholic Church at Tranquebar.

The present catholic church dedicated to our Lady of the Holy Rosary was constructed in 1854CE by the French missionaries. The centenary of the church was celebrated in October 1954 by Fr Thomas Vaz, the parish priest. The first Catholic Bishop of Thanjavur diocese Rt. Rev. DR. RA. Sundaram presided over the celebration. As time has taken its toll on this old church Fr. M Arul the present Parish priest undertook this major renovation work and completed it in 1990. He had also constructed the beautiful belfry.

HOW TO REACH:
Tharangambadi is on the way to Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Velankanni from Mayiladuthurai and Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE CHURCH :CLICK HERE

FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS   :CLICK HERE






The details of the inscriptions are written above

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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