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.
