ADB-aided project to renvoate 400-year old Danish fort

The Rs 4.83 crore project funded by the Asian Development Bank to renovate the 400-year-old Dansborg fort, a heritage structure at Tarangambadi in Nagapattinam district, is nearing completion.

The Tamil Nadu Archaeological department has taken up this heritage conservation and tourism promotion project, an official of the Archaeology department said.

The ADB-aided project — 'India Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism', envisages environmentally and culturally sustainable and socially inclusive tourism development.

As part of the project, works like conserving and renovating the Dansborg Fort, provision of sanitary complexes for the floating population and placement of gravity entailed deep earth bins for garbage collection are being undertaken.

The Dansborg renovation work is being executed through experienced architects under the supervision of the officials of Archaeology department, officials said.

Care has been taken to use traditional building material like limestone, river sand, jaggery, eggs, and plant extracts in the renovation work so as not to affect the fort's originality, they added.

The 'Dansborg' Fort, situated right at the sea-front, was built in 1620 AD when Tarangambadi became Denmark's chief overseas settlement.