The people who lived in the Arcot region, especially in and near the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, belonged to a clan called the Arcots. The Nawabs fought with and ruled over them for a long period. With the establishment of the Danish Missionary Society, many of these Arcots converted Christians. The Danish Missionary Society (DMS, currently Dan Mission) established many schools and hospitals. The first missionary of the DMS was the German Rev. C.C.E. Ochs. He started his first mission station, Bethanien, at Melpattambakkam in South Arcot in 1861. Now all its activities have been transferred to the nearby town of Nellikuppam.