Pondicherry - The French Experience

Uncertain, unsure, undefined…yeah, these were the starting points of our weekend trip. It was mid-week with work looming large on my head, yet the thought of missing my hubby out on a working trip for two whole days and the lure of seeing the unseen with my best travel companion ( a.k.a Hubby) ever was too much to resist. So be it, I gave in to my travel temptations—packed our bags and took off.
Luck wasn't favoring us, or so we thought, for as soon as we reached the Bangalore station we realized that the train in which we booked our tickets to Chennai—namely the Chennai Express was cancelled. Nevertheless, the sporty travelers that we are, we didn't allow this little piece of news to trample our spirits. We stood in a queue again and reserved our seats in Gwuahati Mail and started afresh. The train pulled into Perambur at about 5:00 a.m. that was one stop before our slated destination—Chennai Central. Railway officials announced that the train won't go any further, so reluctantly we unloaded and hired an auto, breathing in the fresh air on the unfamiliar streets of Chennai, all throughout looking for a hotel to halt for the day. Well, our travel is mostly tight pursed so keeping inline with that agenda we were looking for a cheaper property. I should've known that for a fact that cheaper hotels come with cut-rate luxuries, and I was only disappointed to discover that I've have fallen in love with all the classy frills. Anyways, we settled for a high budget sub -standard hotel and moved around town in autos spending more that four times the price for local transport than what we spent traveling from Bangalore to Chennai! Spent the evening in meeting old office friends and waiting for hubby to finish his work, so that we could head back to Bangalore.

Little did we know that our second major change of plans was about to happen. Yes, changes can be more wonderful than any plans. So after finishing a light Chettinad dinner we walked around for an hour, and that's when we thought, "wait a minute, why can't we just take off for Pondicherry?"

We ran back to our Hotel room, slept off and woke up to a new set of adventures. We booked our tickets for the Bangalore the first thing in the morning just to be assured of reserved train seats when we return weary from our Pondi trip, met few experienced (in terms of Pondi travel) friends for breakfast, made necessary clothing purchases and Voila! Armed with new set of clothes and bubbling spirits, we boarded the bus to Pondicherry.

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Pondicherry begins:

The road to Pondicherry is a sight to be relished. The lush green seemed to hug the stream and glow brightly in the afternoon sun. Such is the beauty of the glorious afternoon sky that it made the trampling of dusty shoes in that crowded bus, the nasty glare of fellow passengers who just missed securing a seat or the stench of sweat, all look small.For traveler's who wish to avoid the sweaty rub of fellow passengers , may opt for taxis, which is of course a bit expensive, but convenient.

Day 1
We spent the whole evening strolling hand in hand on the cobbled, winding streets of Pondicherry. Starting from the Aurobindo Ashram to the rocky shoreline, a medley of curios stalls dotted each side of the road selling a mixture of duty-free imports, trinkets, fakes and religious paraphernalia. Amid all the buzz and chaos, every bylane, nook and cranny felt like it's designed to give its denizens a divine walking experience. Every church, building, house, shop, bore an antiquated look, concealing in its foundation, holiness and history in good measure.While walking along the twon beach , you cannot miss the 4-meter high statue of Mahatma Gandhi and French World War I memorial. Its a lving evidence of the Indo-french confluence, which is carried till date.There is a 150-year-old lighthouse also.

Day 2
The next morning we decided to have breakfast at the Ashram—brown bread, bananas, milk , porridge and sprouts…(three meals a day all for 20 rs pp...health food cant get cheaper than this) yes the meal was truly alive…fully immersed in the silence of the moment and the divinity of our 'satvik bhojan' we regretfully realized that our one day vacation was just not enough. The addictive charm of the place is such that it tenderly nudges even the most casual visitor to linger on. Post breakfast we left for 'Auroville' to catch a glimpse of 'Matrimandir' or the meditation dome. It looked like a whole new way of living, promising a slice of divinity in our disquiet life, accepting our resistance towards the ritualistic religious activities -as if it were normal. All I can say is --Never before in my life I felt so comfortable with being religious, as now it came sans the frills.

Good time does not last forever, we left savoring every morsel of our last lunch at the Ashram, with a hope to come back soon, and as we left the tranquility and peace behind and entered the posh, polluted, noisy locales of Bangalore the next morning, our tired bodies ached and sighs lay heavy. We looked at the wide, sparkling roads, flashy cars and neatly arranged trees by the side of the road. We thought of the narrow cobbled streets and flower festooned gardens, the devotees on bicycle, the Ashram community and activities that we left behind. And we missed it.

For first time traveler's on a shoe string budget :

We recommend staying in the Aurobindo ashram , which is in the city and surviving on ashram food...for folks with voracious appetite and a penchant for anything 'unhealthy' you can supplement it with creamy baguettes and pancakes with a steaming cup of coffee for breakfast, or the Tamilian at heart can opt for the the Udipis, there are also some good Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here and of course , beer is real cheap even in good restaurants. so dig in..or shall i say Bon appetit!

For travelling the best mode is hiring a cycle. the trip to auroville is a little strenous, so in case you are not fully geared , hire a shared auto. sightseeing vans also leave the ashram twice a day, hence are a good option.

Details of the places to see(this piece is courtesy http://india.journeymart.com/pondicherry/viaround.htm):

Auroville : Set up in 1926, the ashram has chosen healthy thinking and living as a path of spirituality....with time at ones' disposal , one can explore yoga, meditation or participate in one of the workshops. its an experience in its own. There is an educational centre, which occasionally hosts lectures, screens films and holds play performances.

The French Institute is in a stylish colonial building. It has some remarkable old French books that are very rare. The Romain Rolland library has over 60,000 volumes and overlooks the sea.

Along with the ‘kepis’ capped cops and its streets being called ‘rue’, it is the churches that make the town retain some of its European charm. The church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or Notre Dame de la Conception is almost 300years old. The church to Our Lady of Angels is famous for an oil painting that was gifted by Napoleon III. The most magnificent however is the grand gothic Sacred Heart Church with 3 stained glass panels of the life of Christ. Just outside town is a copy of the Basilica at Lourdes.

Many temples around Pondicherry are dedicated to Ganesh, the half man half pachyderm god who is the Destroyer of all Obstacles. The oldest ones date back to the 10th century Chola Empire. The Vinaynagar Manakula temple has a golden dome and a collection of 40 beautiful friezes. The temple to the local goddess Drowpattiamman has a fire festival in July-August.

The Botanical Gardens are pleasant for a stroll and the aquarium has a collection of exotic ornamental fish. The Pondicherry Museum has a really eclectic collection of this, that and the other. It has an art collection, Pallava sculptures, handicraft, weaponry, archaeology, geology…and the old French governor Dupleix’s bed, an old palanquin and such interesting odds and ends! The Jawahar Toy Museum has a collection of dolls dressed up to represent every state in India.