Last weekend, I finally decided to strike off Pondicherry from my list of ‘places to explore’. I say ‘finally’ because for years now, I’ve been meaning to go there, but, for some reason or the other, those plans never materialized. It so happened that I had to go drop my niece at Chennai, so grabbing the chance of killing two birds with one stone, I firmly determined to pay a visit, however brief, to pretty-as-a-picture Pondicherry.
Our
flight to Chennai departed at a little before midnight and by around 2am, we
were home. Deciding against changing for the night, I lay down for a quick nap.
In about an hours’ time, my pre-booked cab was at the gate, all ready to drive
me to the bus-stand. Wanting to grab some sleep before reaching Pondicherry, I
had pre-booked a seat aboard a 5.30am bus (AC Sleeper) that departs from a
place called Koyambedu. My ticket stated that the bus would pick me up from
somewhere between pillar 26 and 27.
Standing there on a long, not very clean
street under a fly-over, alone with only my little red bag for company, I
looked around for anything that remotely resembled a bus station. It was then
that I saw that the pillars holding up the fly-over were numbered….12…13…14 and
so on. Dragging my bag behind me, I walked ahead towards pillar 26 and 27……and
there was my bus – a white vehicle with the words ‘Orange Tours & Travels’ written across its side. Climbing up to
my berth, I promptly drew the curtain, pulled out my bed sheet and fell asleep.
Since I had to alight at the last stop, I wasn’t worried about missing my stop
or getting off at the wrong place.
LE PREMIER JOUR
After
a good two hours of much needed sleep, I woke up to gloriously blue skies with
cotton-candy clouds. The bus soon stopped for ‘tiffin’ – breakfast at a
thatches restaurant by the roadside. I was glad for the chance to step off the
bus as, once awake, bus journeys always give me a very queasy feeling in my
stomach. While my co-passengers stood around sipping on tea or coffee, I stood
by sucking on some lemon candy which is a sure fire way to rid oneself of
unwanted murmurings in the belly.
Another hour in the bus
and we arrived at Pondicherry. Once again, the bus dropped off its last few
passengers (including me) by the side of a fairly busy road. On booking a cab
to take me to the accommodation I had booked, I had a fairly nasty experience.
Local auto drivers can be quite aggressive and can be quite a nuisance. Be
smart in your dealings with them. In case, like what happened with me, auto
guys do not let you get into your cab and insist that cabs are illegal in
Pondicherry, do not get bullied into believing them. You can lodge complaints using toll-free numbers
(100 or 1031 or 107 3) and WhatsApp number (94892 05039). You can
also mail complaints to crr.pon@nic.in if local autorickshaw drivers threaten
you.
That bad experience aside, I soon arrived at Joy’s Residence, which, I
later realized, is rather a distance away from the popular tourist spots of
Pondicherry. The house was clean, let in a lot of light and, since this was my
first time travelling alone, I was glad that the owners lived downstairs and
were quick to answer the phone or arrive outside my door in case of assistance.
Not wanting to waste time unpacking just then, I fished out a map of
Pondicherry from my handbag and sat a while, trying to decide on what to do
next. I was alone, in a new town, with a map but with no plan at all. I didn’t
want to Google anything or go by tourist reviews. Choosing to explore and
experience Pondicherry for myself, I only called a friend and asked her to name
one place of interest for me. Noting down her answer, I hailed a cab (no auto
bullies this time) and, in about 6 minutes, I was standing outside the Pondicherry Museum, a small,
one-storied building in the heart of what used to be the French quarter of the
town.
Purchasing my entry
ticket at the counter I proceeded to explore the many artefacts the little
museum had on display. There were quite a few tools and implements from the
Stone Age period, some furniture and crockery left behind by the French and
also weapons and currency. I must admit that the variety of items packed into
the small rooms was quite impressive, but it’s quite clear that there is much
need for proper cataloguing and providing of information to tourists. The Pondicherry
Museum is a nice place to visit and once can easily spend 30 minutes here. I
took a little longer as I sat in the courtyard for a few minutes, taking in the
sight of other tourists going in and out of the museum. Photography is not permitted here.
I had been informed that one could hire a bicycle
to get around, but I chose to rely on my feet to explore this town that the
French East India Company established as their headquarters in 1674. The town
itself was divided by a canal into the French Quarter and the Indian Quarter.
The French Quarter is today known as White
Town.
This is the main tourist center in Pondicherry, rich in history,
beauty, culture and great options for food. It’s rather picturesque with the
tree lined streets, beautiful churches and bright cafes. I thought it rather
pretty that all the streets still bore their French names….Rue Francois Martin….Rue
Labourdonnais….Rue de la Marine….
It made me smile when I found even a good mix of French and India in streets
like Rue Thiyagaraja & Rue Chanda Sahib.
It’s nice that the government of Pondicherry realizes that names, even
those given by foreign rulers, are an important part of who we are today. So
unlike other cities where names are changed in an attempt to erase and
whitewash one’s history.
Having no fixed itinerary and the rest of the day stretched out before
me, I entered the gates of Bharathi Park
outside the Pondicherry Museum. In the early afternoon, the park had quite a
few people sleeping on the benches or stretched out under the trees. I was lucky
to find an unoccupied stone bench in the shade of a frangipani tree. It was
here that I sat and learned about the Aayi
Mandapam that stands tall and white at the center of the park.
There’s an
interesting tale behind this monument – the tale of a King and a Prostitute.
King Krishnadevaraya, while travelling through
Pondicherry was captivated by the architectural splendor and magnificence of a
building. Judging by the beautiful fragrance coming from the building, he bowed
low before it, believing it to be a temple. He was, however, very infuriated
(and embarrassed) when he was informed that the building was not a temple, but
a brothel run by a famous prostitute named Ayi. Roaring with anger, the King
ordered his soldiers to break down the building. Ayi begged him not to do so,
but he calmed down only when she herself promised to tear down the building and
build in its place a water reservoir to supply water to the town.
Years later, when the French came to Pondicherry,
the French King was so impressed by the story behind the water reservoir that
he ordered a monument to be built in honor of Ayi, in the middle of the park.
I headed next towards Goubert
Avenue (Beach Road) which is just two minutes away from Bharathi Park. By
now, it was past noon and the sun was at its zenith. I had little rivulets of
perspiration running down my back, but all the heat and discomfort was
forgotten at the sight of the brilliant blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. Standing
there with the sparkling waters spread out before me and the pretty French town
at my back, I could almost believe I was somewhere in Europe. (I say this
because the bright blue of the water and the skies reminded me a lot of my
visit to Italy).
Enjoying my solitary walk along the coast I stopped for lunch
at Le Café that is right beside another famous landmark, the Gandhi Statue. Goubert Avenue is often
crowded in the evenings, packed with tourists from near and far. In the
afternoon, it’s an entirely different scene. Save for a few vehicles and a
handful of tourists, the street is nearly empty.
It’s the same in Le Café – jam-packed at night, but blissfully empty at noon. It’s
Pondy’s only seafront café serving a variety of sandwiches, salads, baguettes
& pizza. You have to place your order, pay at the counter and then proceed
to find a table. Keep your ears tuned for a loud shout from the kitchen
announcing that your order is ready to be collected. You then need to go,
collect your order and head back to your table.
I spent a good hour here, sitting at a table by
myself, admiring the view of nothing but the ocean in front of me. I’d say that
the location & view is the largest selling point of the café. I found the
food to be okay….the coffee was thin and watery, the green salad wasn’t bad,
but the chicken lasagna was bland with an overdose of oregano and cornflower
paste masquerading as cheese.
Next, I walked around town, taking in the various
sights and soon found myself outside the Aurobindo
Ashram, a spiritual and diverse community of around 1600 members. At its
center, in a tree-shaded courtyard, lies the Samadhi, a shrine where the bodies of Shri Aurobindo and the Mother
are laid to rest. Although there is a constant flow of tourists/devotees moving
in and out of its gates, there is an air of serenity that pervades the Ashram. Photography is not permitted here.
The Ashram bookstore is open to tourists and
after a bit of browsing, I purchased a little booklet that expressed the
thoughts & teachings of Shri Aurobindo and the Mother on the topic of food.
Not very far from the Ashram is what is believed
to be the oldest temple in Pondicherry - the Arulmigu
Manakula Vinayagar Temple. I would have loved to enter the
temple, but the gates were shut for the afternoon. I did, however, stop to
admire the beautiful artwork at the entrance of the temple. What fascinated me
most was the assembly of Gods and Goddesses painted on the ceiling. It’s a
beautiful sight.
Walking ahead, I came to
the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges,
located at the corner of Rue Surcoof and Rue Dumas. The prayer to Our Lady of
the Angels and the Stations of the Cross on the walls are all written in
French. I was glad to be standing alone in the church and thankful for the
peace and quiet of its interiors which glowed with the rainbow reflection of
sunlight filtering in through the many stained glass windows. Across the main
entrance of the church is a little garden dedicated to St. Joan of Arc, the
patron saint of France. A life-sized statue of the Saint, erected in 1923, stands
in the center of the garden, facing the church of Our Lady of Angels.
The sea called to me again and I walked back towards Goubert
Avenue and the Dupleix Statue at the
end of the avenue. But it wasn’t the statue of the French Governor-General
Joseph François Dupleix
that held my attention. I was more interested in what stood across the street
from the statue – the GMT – the Gelataria Montecatini Terme, an
ice-cream shop that serves up scoops of Italian delight to its never ending
stream of customers.
The tiny, crowded shop has a wide range of flavors
available and, ice-cream lover that I am, I happily sampled as many flavors as
I could before ordering a tubful of three large scoops –Salted Caramel, Coconut
Milk and Tropical Delight. The latter was most definitely not
delightful. It was a rather odd tasting, tangy mixture of jackfruit, pineapple,
mango and milk. Not something I’d ever order again.
Large ice-cream tub in hand, I walked another 20 minutes towards
the interior of the town and, just as I swallowed the last spoonful of my
ice-cream, I found myself standing outside a café called Baker Street. Curious to find a British sounding café in the French
Quarter of a South Indian town, I entered the café to find a wide array of
delicacies, both sweet and savory.
The café is almost always occupied with
tourists chatting over coffee and croissants. Everything here is overpriced
even though the portions are small and the taste is nothing to write home
about. I purchased a palmier, an escargot raisin and a small pack of macaroons.
Explored the town for a few more minutes and then made my way back to my accommodation with my package of sweet
treats and decided to call it a day. I’d been walking around and exploring
Pondicherry for six hours now by then, and although I wasn’t tired, I thought
it best to give myself some rest. Also, I wasn’t too sure how safe it was for
me to be wandering the unfamiliar streets alone after sunset.
Back in my room, I freshened-up & curled up on a couch with
the palmier in one hand and my book
in the other. The views and ideas expressed in the booklet I had purchased from
Aurobindo Ashram were quite thought provoking and I found myself reading for a
good hour and a half.
Dinner
was back in White Town, at a place called Café
Xtasi which is a popular tourist hangout. It serves delicious wood fired
pizzas among other things. Service is, however, slow and they forgot half the
order. Not good!
\
LE DEUXIÈME JOUR
The next morning, I made my way to the Sacred Heart Basilica, a beautiful
specimen of Gothic architecture.
It’s not a very large place, but it does
contain some beautiful and rare specimens of stained glass windows depicting
scenes from the life of Christ and the Saints of the Catholic Church. I sat a
while to pray and admire the play of rainbow light on the walls before making
my way towards the Pondicherry Botanical
Gardens.
This well laid out gardens spread across 22 acres
of land were laid out by the French in 1826. The gates open at 10am and as I
was one of the first to enter that morning, I was able to explore the gardens
without the noise and crowds of tourists who would eventually begin to pour in.
There are many species of plants and trees, each
with a placard providing the scientific name, uses of the tree and its
medicinal value. The Aquarium
within the premises is rather run-down and seems to be suffering from neglect,
not very unlike to the Botanical Garden.
The fish in the tanks do not match the
placards, many of the tanks were empty and one even had a plastic jellyfish
floating close to the surface.
What I liked best about my visit to the gardens
was the Toy Train. There’s a
gaily painted little train station beside the play area, complete with a
booking counter and portly guard. The toy train consists of an engine and four
carriages painted in bright primary colors. I seated myself in the green
carriage and quite enjoyed the experience as the train rumbled along the track.
The train follows a path taking you through the various sections of the garden
like the Lotus Pond, the children’s play area, the musical fountain, the
nursery. It’s a short ride, but I enjoyed myself immensely because I’ve never
taken a ride in a toy train before.
I then headed back to White Town where I was met
by my sister and her family.
Since it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, we stopped for
brunch at Le Chateau located on Rue
Romain Rolland. The restaurant serves up good French and Italian fare and
offers some lovely views of the neighborhood and the coast.
Post a heavy brunch, we walked around White Town a little before losing
the battle with the scorching sun. Choosing to drive to GMT for some ice-cream
(no Tropical Delight for me), we decided to the then drive along the coast for
the rest of the evening. Can’t say much about the drive because I fell asleep in
the back seat and woke up only when we were on our way to the apartment.
LE TROISIÈME JOUR
Early the next morning, we packed our bags and prepared to drive back to
Chennai. I am an early riser and, when travelling, usually take an early
morning walk as everything seems so different at sunrise and I love the peace
and quiet of the world as it slowly wakes to a new day. Sadly, as I mentioned
earlier, the accommodation, although comfortable, was quite far from White Town
and I couldn’t go exploring at dawn.
En route to Chennai, we stopped at Auroville, https://www.auroville.org/ . I’m still
not very familiar with much about Auroville, but am keen to learn more. Our
visit was a really short one during which we stopped at the Auroville Bakery and Café. This
is just on the way before you actually enter Auroville. There are cafes inside
Auroville as well, but this one is much better. It serves lovely French fare
and the portions are also quite good. Do note, the do not accept any credit or
debit cards. Cash only.
My sister and I shared a delicious Tuna Salad and
some Hibiscus soda. My niece and her dad had orange juice & an open
sandwich with hummus as well as a grilled croissant. That was a good breakfast.
Inside Auroville, we parked the car and collected
a pass to visit the famous Matrimandir,
a golden meditation globe that is in the center of Auroville. (You can read
more about it by following the link I’ve shared) It’s a long and fairly
pleasant walk to the Matrimandir, but I would have enjoyed it more if only we
didn’t have the sun beating down on us from above.
We spent a few minutes at the Matrimandir viewing
point and then made our way back to the car park. Along the way, we visited the
souvenir shops that sell clothing, books, scented candles, incense sticks and
handicrafts.
After three hours of driving along the beautiful
ECR, we finally arrived in Chennai. I went to bed early as I had to leave for
the airport at 3am. My vacation had ended and it was now time to head back home
to Mumbai.
Pondicherry has a lot to offer to every visitor
and there’s so much more that I’d like to see and experience in this charming
town. If you do check out the Pondicherry Tourism site, you’ll see for yourself
the many sights, experiences and eating houses that are waiting to be explored.
The next time I visit Pondicherry - and I will visit again – I shall try to
experience Pondicherry through the eyes of tourists who have been there before
me…dine at popular restaurants and visit places they recommend.
But for now, I am glad I did not follow the
beaten path where my views and vision might be tainted by those of another. It’s
been a tiring, but very fulfilling weekend. I’ve managed to sample a few
delightful flavors, and I leave it with a hunger to feast on the entire buffet
of history, culture and natural beauty that is Pondicherry.
Jusqu'à la prochaine fois, au revoir !
Pics by Misha
* image of Aayi Mandapam taken from Tripadvisor as I left my camera in Chennai. Shall replace the
pic with one of my own once I get my camera back.
