Pondicherry, with its quaint French names, boulevards and grand villas
was a French colony till not so long. There is a distinct French influence
that is visible between the beach and the canal, which separates the
Indian part of the town from the French side. Did you know? Even the
policemen in Pondicherry wear red kepis and belts, reminiscent of the
days when Pondicherry was a French colony.
The Aurobindo Ashram here attracts people from far corners of the globe.
A haven of peace, the Ashram is not just for prayers and meditation.
They even have a factory famous for its distinct handmade paper. Dreamed
of Utopia? Then walk into Auroville, an offshoot of the Ashram is a
place where people of different nationalities could live in peace and
harmony and rise above the narrow confines of nationality, creed or
race. Pondicherry is dotted with restaurants and cafes serving French
cuisine and lovely seafood.
History
The history of this seaside town is interesting. The origin according
to myths is traced back to saint Agastya, a revered sage in South India.
It is said that sage Agastya established his ashram here and the place
was known as Agastiswaram. An inscription found near the Vedhapuriswara
Temple hints at the credibility of this legend. But then, history is built
up on lots of speculations and theories. Recent excavations also reveal
that a Roman settlement existed here about 2,000 years ago.
Closer in time, the French ruled this territory for 300 years, traces
remain. Pondicherry was the capital of French India. And it saw bitter
battles between the colonial powers. The de jure union of French India
with the Indian Union did not take place until 1962, although de facto,
the bureaucracy had been united with India's on 1 November 1954.
The French influence can be seen even today in Pondicherry with its
boulevards, whitewashed bungalows and quaint French names for all the
streets and avenues. Pondicherry was home to national Subramania Bharathi.
Pondicherry also inspired the revolutionary Tamil poet Bharathidasan.
What to see
Auroville
Ten kilometers north of Pondicherry is the probably the most famous
destination of the area, Auroville or the 'City of Dawn'. It is the
translation of an ambitious vision by the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's spiritual
partner and successor, to create utopia. Designed by French architect
Roger Anger, 1700 people, of whom two-thirds are non-Indian, reside
in this minicity sustaining themselves by professions ranging from agriculture
to computer projects. The township's centre has a Peace Area, with an
amphitheatre where an urn contains the soil of 121 nations and 23 Indian
states. The Visitor Centre is open from 9.30 am to 5 pm daily and has
a permanent exhibition on the history, philosophy and activities of
the community. For details contact: La Boutique d' Auroville, J.N. Street.
A walk along Beach Road, officially Goubert Avenue, is a must for every
tourist. A beautiful stretch abutting the sea, the road is home to some
quaint monuments of French vintage like the white Mairie, which now
houses the offices of the PondicherryMunicipality. Le Café strong
was once the port office till a cyclone in 1952 destroyed the iron pier
whose remains still jut out of the water. There is also the French War
Memorial in Goubert Avenue for soldiers who died during World War I.
BharatiPark
Located in the heart of the town, its verdure makes BharatiPark one
of Pondicherry's most beautiful spots. Because of its lush green surroundings
and shady trees, there are always plenty of weary souls taking respite
from the harsh sun here. In the park's centre is the Aayi Mandapam,
a gleaming white monument commemorating the provision of water to the
city.
Memorials Of Subramanya Bharathi, Bharathidasan and Ananda Rangapillai
The houses of two great poets Subramanya Bharathi and Bharatidasan are
now memorials and places of pilgrimage for Tamil lovers. Bharati, who
used his pen as a weapon against the British took refuge in Pondicherry
at No. 20, Easwaran Koil Street, composing patriotic songs and immortal
works of Tamil literature. Bharatidasan, who considered Bharati his
guru, lived at No.95, Perumal Koil Street.
Ananda Rangapillai was a famous diarist who maintained a record of
the events between 1736 and 1760. His writings have become an invaluable
source of Pondicherry's history. He lived in No. 69-C, Rue Rangapillai
(Maison Ananda Rangapillai), a palatial house.
Romain Rolland Library
Established in 1872, the Romain Rolland library has more than 3 lakh
English and French books besides rare books and a reference section
open to the public. It is an oasis of peace amidst a busy hub.
PondicherryMuseum
Open from 10 am to 5 pm, the Pondicherry Museum's two storeys house
rare bronzes, stone sculptures, artifacts excavated from the Roman trading
centre Arikamedu, objects from even the Tsung period in China. There
is also a shell and fossil room, coins, church relics and French furniture.
Also on display is Dupleix's bed.
Botanical Gardens
Located south of the New Bus Stand, the Botanical Gardens, laid out
in 1826 in ornate French style, has pruned trees, beautiful flower beds
and gravel lined paths and fountains. There are over 1500 species of
plants, many of them exotic and introduced by the French from all over
the world.
Chunnambar Backwater
Situated 8 kms from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road, the
Chunnambar Beach and Backwater Resort, a PTTDC enterprise, gives tourists
the option of boating, backwater boat tours or trekking. Speed, motor,
sail, rowed paddled and peddalled boats are all available on rent. Plage
Paradiso, the beach located near the backwater's mouth, has pristine
waters and shimmering sands. Sun bathing and beach sports are popular
here.
Getaways
Arikamedu
Four kms south of Pondicherry, on the banks of a river, is Arikamedu,
a trade centre of the Romans which has a history dating back to second
century BC. The port town has since seen the Cholas and the French.
A trip to Arikamedu is a must on the Pondicherry agenda.
Gingee
Gingee which has a huge fort complex is 68 kms from Pondicherry. It
is spread over three hills and its ruins include the palace, a mosque,
a granary and a harem.
Thiruvannamalai
The Arunachala temple of Thiruvannamalai, located 102 kms. from Pondicherry,
has a hall of 1000 pillars. The magnificent temple was built by the
Vijayanagara empire between the 16th and 17th century. Ramana Maharshi,
the great saint, of the early 20th century came to this temple after
getting enlightenment. His ashram draws a large number of devotees
Chidambaram
A temple town of great importance, Chidambaram is 58 kilometers from
Pondicherry. It is home to Annamalai University and the Nataraja Temple
Keezhoor
The village of Keezhoor, off the road to Villianur, is primarily of
interest for the canopy of a 400-year-old banyan tree, one of the oldest
in south India, which sprawls to an unbelievable extent.
Mamallapuram
This historic town with it beautiful rock carvings and the world famous
Shore Temple was the second capital of the Pallava Dynasty. The town
has an excellent combination of reasonable accommodation, a variety
of economical restaurants, handicrafts and a lovely beach. There are
regular buses to Mamallapuram, and the drive takes approximately an
hour.
Kanchipuram
Situated 113 km away, this town is considered to be one of the seven
sacred cities of India. Its attraction: the famous Kamakshi Temple and
the even more famous silk saris.
Dining Out
For the most authentic French dishes ever dished out in India, Pondicherry
is the place. Satsanga (Labourdonnais Street),a converted backyard of
a rambling French villa serves some sumptuous French and Italian fare.
You can relax into a chair and read the morning newspaper over a superb
breakfast here. Check out Hotel Aristo (Nehru Street) for that lip-smacking
walnut chicken served with brown rice. Au Feude Bois is where to go
if you are an Italian food connoisseur. The Wood-fired oven puts out
some soft and crunchy pizzas and fresh bread. But this is not all. For
people who like typical south Indian cuisine, there are enough restaurants
which serve it too.
Blue Dragon (Dumas Street) and China Town (Suffren Street) serve out-of-this-world
Chinese fare. Probably the most expensive restaurant in Pondicherry
is Le Club which, quite obviously, serves French cuisine and wine and
beer. For Indian snacks or breakfast, Indian Coffee House (Rue Nehru)
is a good bet. Also, Appache (Rangapillai Street) is sought after for
its Chettinad fare.
Shopping
Since Pondicherry is a Union Territory, it is exempt from state
taxes and hence is a favourite with shoppers. Everything from cars to
consumer goods is cheaper here. Shops are open from 10 am to 1 pm and
4 pm to 10 pm. Anna Salai, Nehru Street (J.N.Street), Mahatma Gandhi
Street (M.G.Street), Cathedral Street (Mission Street) and Romain Rolland
Street are the main shopping areas of Pondicherry.. Being a centre for
household linen and garment textiles production, textiles are a favourite
of Pondicherry shoppers. French and British colonial furniture, leather
goods, pottery, aromatics and a variety of organic food products by
Naturellement in Auroville are the main highpoints of the Pondicherry
shopping experience.
The Aurobindo Ashram makes hip leather bags, wallets and sandals with
a unique style where patterns are carved out of the leather. They also
sell very good handmade paper, incense sticks and batik that comes from
their own factory. Other shops also sell similar ware but you must at
least check out the Ashram shops.
Visiting
October to February is the season for Pondicherry. October is beautiful
just before the heaven’s open up in November when there are heavy
rains. December and January are important months for the locals who
celebrate Christmas and New Year with aplomb. These are also the months
when activity at the Ashram increases because of the birth and death
anniversaries of Shree Aurobindo and The Mother. Weather wise it is
pleasant until March after which it gets hot.
Tourist Offices
The office of Pondicherry Tourist and Transport Development Corporation
is at 40 Goubert Salai. It is open daily from 8:45 am to 1 pm and then
again from 2 pm to 5 pm. Telephone: 334978
They provide maps, tourist brochures detailing the activities in the
area and also conduct sightseeing tours.
How to get there
Air
The nearest airport is at Chennai (Tamil Nadu) 160kms. From there it
is possible (and most convenient) to hire a taxi. To catch a bus to
Pondicherry you will have to first get to Chennai city, which is 16
km from the airport.
Rail
The nearest railway station is Villupuram at a distance of 32 km. Villupuram
is directly connected to Chennai (160 km) which in turn is a major metropolis
connected to all the big cities in India
Road
There are regular buses to Chennai (160 km), Bangalore (296 km), Tiruchirapalli
(196 km), and Kanchipuram (113 km). Chidambaram and Mamallapuram are
within two hours drive from Pondicherry.
