Tharangambadi, also known as Tranquebar, is a town in Tamil Nadu that was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845. It is located 15 km north of Karaikal on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The Danish East India Company founded Tranquebar in 1620, establishing a trading post and building Fort Dansborg, which served as the governor's residence and headquarters for over 150 years. Some historic buildings from the Danish colonial era that still stand include the 17th century Fort Dansborg, now a museum, and India's oldest Protestant church, the 18th century Zion Church.