NAGAPATTINAM / KARAIKAL: A group of 35 Danish boarding school students of West fines Efter Skole of Commerce in Funen island in Denmark renovated the 16th-century tombs of Danish settlers in Tharangambadi in Nagapattinam district during their week-long visit to India. Tharangambadi was once the settlement of Danish merchants and sailors in the 16th century. During their stay, the students of Classes 9 to 12 whitewashed and painted over 30 tombs in the cemetery where Danish sailors and soldiers are buried. The cemetery is located next to Fort Dansborg (Danish Fort).
Speaking to TNIE, the school’s headmaster, Poul Petersen, said, “The students from Denmark used every alternate year to visit Tranquebar (Tharangamabadi) to learn about Danish tradition. They were enthusiastic about doing voluntary activities during their stay. Our students learnt so many interesting things about the locals during their stay.”
The students also actively participated in a clean-up of the littered beach. They interacted with locals and fishers and learnt about their way of life. Their stay was arranged by the Danish Tranquebar Association.
Meanwhile, around 25 students and three teachers from France arrived in Karaikal to study agriculture and the effects of climate change in South India.
They have come to Karaikal as part of a student exchange programme between Enseignement Agricole en France (Agricultural Education in France) and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute (PAJANCOA & RI).