February 16 - 17, 2006 - Pondicherry
February 16, 2006 - Pondicherry
I woke up early this morning since my fellow travelers and I were catching the train at the Madurai railway station. After a 5-hour train journey, we arrived in the town of Villupuram, where we disembarked the train and loaded into a mini-bus for the 1-hour drive down the coastal road to the charming seaside town of Pondicherry in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
(Click on the images below to view.)
(Click on the images below to view.)
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Pondicherry is the former capital of French territories in India and was established in 1674 by Francois Martin, the first director of the French East India Company. The French relinquished their control of “Pondy” almost 60 years ago, but reminders of the colonial days remained. French was still spoken among the older residents and stately colonial mansions stood in tree-lined streets that were still known by their colonial names. Even the local police continued to wear French uniforms, i.e., the red kepis (caps) and belts. The city had many colonial buildings, churches, temples and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and well-planned French-style avenues, has preserved much of the colonial atmosphere.
It was hot, hot, HOT in Pondy – close to 100⁰ – and, located on the Bay of Bengal, very humid. After we checked into the Hotel Jayaram, we took tuk-tuks down to the waterfront. If it were not for the dark-skinned, dark-haired people, I would have not thought we were in India. Traveling through the streets, I really did feel like I was in a small French town. Once we reached Beach Road, it felt more like I was in some upscale Florida seaside town.
(Click on the images below to view.)
It was hot, hot, HOT in Pondy – close to 100⁰ – and, located on the Bay of Bengal, very humid. After we checked into the Hotel Jayaram, we took tuk-tuks down to the waterfront. If it were not for the dark-skinned, dark-haired people, I would have not thought we were in India. Traveling through the streets, I really did feel like I was in a small French town. Once we reached Beach Road, it felt more like I was in some upscale Florida seaside town.
(Click on the images below to view.)
We walked along the promenade, which ran as far as the eye could see and was swarming with Indians. They mostly stood around in groups or sat on the wall which separated the walkway from the beach. Pondy’s beach was sandy and, in places, was strewn with large, jagged rocks, but there were very few people on the actual beach. There was, however, no shortage of rubbish on the beach, which was very disappointing considering how clean the rest of the town looked. Located on the promenade was a 13-foot tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which stood on a pedestal, surrounded by eight stone pillars.
(Click on the images below to view.)
(Click on the images below to view.)
With some free time on our hands, Susan, Debbie and I decided to visit the Pondicherry Botanical Garden, which was developed by the French in 1826. About 10 degrees cooler than the rest of Pondy, the 22-acre garden was like a tranquil, green oasis. With very few people wandering around, it was such a peaceful place. We noticed miniature train tracks running through the gardens and we thought taking the little train would be a nice way to experience the beautiful setting. We found one of the train stops and waited for the train to arrive; however, after about 20 minutes we realized that the train wasn’t running that day.
(Click on the images below to view.)
(Click on the images below to view.)
We had quite a confrontation with the tuk-tuk driver who drove me, Susan and Debbie back to our hotel. We had negotiated a price of 30 rupees, but when we got to the Jayaram, he tried to charge us 40 rupees each. In the end, we just walked away from the driver into our hotel, with him yelling after us.
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Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Later in the afternoon, we met up with the rest of our traveling companions and walked to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Founded in 1926 by yogi Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa, a Frenchwoman who became known as The Mother, this ashram embraces spiritual beliefs that represent a fusion of yoga and modern science. After Aurobindo’s death in 1950, spiritual authority passed to The Mother, who died in 1973 at 97 years of age. Today, the ashram underwrites many cultural and educational activities in Pondicherry.
The ashram was a very peaceful place, and the grounds were beautiful with lush greenery and flowers. There were many devotees there paying tribute to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, who were both buried in a flower-festooned Samadhi, a tomb venerated as a shrine, located in the central courtyard of the ashram.
The ashram was a very peaceful place, and the grounds were beautiful with lush greenery and flowers. There were many devotees there paying tribute to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, who were both buried in a flower-festooned Samadhi, a tomb venerated as a shrine, located in the central courtyard of the ashram.
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After leaving the ashram, we visited the Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory, which was started in 1959. This small plant is a successful ashram endeavor and produces a wide variety of quality paper and paper products, all by hand. We got to watch the workers making various types of paper, including paper made from bamboo, ricehusk, straw and tea leaves. We then browsed through the paper factory’s store, which carried a huge selection of hand-made paper products. I bought numerous items, including some small boxes of note paper for my co-workers back at my office in the U.S., a journal, a photo album, and some stationery.
Here is a video I found online showing the workers inside the paper factory.
Here is a video I found online showing the workers inside the paper factory.
After dinner that evening, I went to bed, where I spent a fitful night tossing and turning in my sweltering hotel room.
February 17, 2006 - Pondicherry
This morning started off super hot! We all felt as if we were suffocating from the oppressive heat as we walked to a French pastry shop, thankfully located on a shady street a few blocks from our hotel. As I entered into the small shop, the delicious aromas of freshly baked pastries and other goodies filled the air. I bought a couple croissants and a cup of chai, and got settled at one of the little tables to eat my delectable meal!
After breakfast, my fellow traveling companions and I visited Auroville, a few miles north of Pondicherry. Auroville is a very strange place indeed! Describing itself as “a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities . . . to realize human unity,” Auroville is a New Age community that has largely failed. Started in 1968 by The Mother (the same Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram), Auroville began when 5,000 people gathered to inaugurate the new township, which was built to house 50, 000 people. However, fueled by differences of opinion, corruption and dis-unity – the antithesis of Auroville – the city unraveled early in its existence, and when I visited. there were only about 2,000 residents. As one commentator has said, “The whole spectacle of Auroville now seems to be a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”
While in Auroville, I visited what is called the Peace Area, which is located at the center of the community, with the Matrimandir, which means “Temple of the Mother” and is the “soul of the city.” The Matrimandir was a large, round sphere which will be completely covered with gold discs when complete. (When I visited, the Matrimandir was a little more than half covered with the discs.) The Matrimandir “symbolizes the birth of a new consciousness seeking to manifest.” While I did not go inside the Matrimandir, it is purported that the inner chamber of the sphere is completely white, with white marble walls and white carpet. It houses in its center what is alleged to be the world’s largest crystal globe, which “suffuses a ray of electronically guided sunlight which falls on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere.”
After breakfast, my fellow traveling companions and I visited Auroville, a few miles north of Pondicherry. Auroville is a very strange place indeed! Describing itself as “a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities . . . to realize human unity,” Auroville is a New Age community that has largely failed. Started in 1968 by The Mother (the same Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram), Auroville began when 5,000 people gathered to inaugurate the new township, which was built to house 50, 000 people. However, fueled by differences of opinion, corruption and dis-unity – the antithesis of Auroville – the city unraveled early in its existence, and when I visited. there were only about 2,000 residents. As one commentator has said, “The whole spectacle of Auroville now seems to be a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”
While in Auroville, I visited what is called the Peace Area, which is located at the center of the community, with the Matrimandir, which means “Temple of the Mother” and is the “soul of the city.” The Matrimandir was a large, round sphere which will be completely covered with gold discs when complete. (When I visited, the Matrimandir was a little more than half covered with the discs.) The Matrimandir “symbolizes the birth of a new consciousness seeking to manifest.” While I did not go inside the Matrimandir, it is purported that the inner chamber of the sphere is completely white, with white marble walls and white carpet. It houses in its center what is alleged to be the world’s largest crystal globe, which “suffuses a ray of electronically guided sunlight which falls on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere.”
Before leaving Auroville, I visited the gift shop (yes, even the failed utopia of Auroville was in the business of making money!), where items handmade by the residents were sold. I bought a tote bag with the Auroville logo on it.
Back at the hotel, we had a quick lunch. After 10 days of Indian food, I was getting a little tired of it so I had an American lunch: a grilled cheese sandwhich and French fries, apropos considering we were in a former French colony.
Next stop, Mamallapuram. We made the 3-hour journey traveling through a landscape of palm trees and rice paddies as we headed up the coast to this small fishing village, where we will spend the night.
NEXT: MAMALLAPURAM, INDIA
Back at the hotel, we had a quick lunch. After 10 days of Indian food, I was getting a little tired of it so I had an American lunch: a grilled cheese sandwhich and French fries, apropos considering we were in a former French colony.
Next stop, Mamallapuram. We made the 3-hour journey traveling through a landscape of palm trees and rice paddies as we headed up the coast to this small fishing village, where we will spend the night.
NEXT: MAMALLAPURAM, INDIA