I travelled to Pondicherry six months after the south coast of India was hit by a Tsunami, to get away from our daily busy and boring life in the hot summer of June. The idea was simply to HOLIDAY!
We had worked out a tight schedule, four places - Chennai, Pondi city, Tanjore and Rameswaram - great distances, not well connected, and with lots to explore. But we wanted to make the most of our trip and why say no to the challenge? Or so we thought. Once we got to Pondi city on the second day, we convinced ourselves to stay therefor four days!
Away from the hustle and bustle of Chennai, Pondi is connected to the state capital via the East Coast Road, which runs all along the Bay of Bengal, The small city famous for its French connection, is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Pondicherry (the others are strangely spread out: Karaikal in Tamil Nadu, Yanam in Andhra Pradesh, and Mahe in Kerala).
Pondicherry has a long history. But the city till date retains the flavour of its colonisers. Not many know that it was the Dutch, who drew the original city plan, based on which the French built their city – what is now called the 'French Quarter' in the east divided by the Grand Canal from the 'Tamil Quarter' on the west.
It is fruitless to visit any town/ city without an understanding of its cultural context, especially if one is an art lover and, being a Bong, it is utmost necessary. You will hardly find one from my community who is not over informed before they visit any place.
So, our Bengalee genes and (art) historic mind took us straight to the INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) office to collect interesting information about the city and understand why this particular 'Indian' city was so clean?!
Over the last few decades the city has been under constant developmental pressure, leading to the organic growth of modern concrete shops amongst the older houses thereby ruining the charm of the place. The Government of Pondicherry undertook a project to maintain the 'Pondicherryness of the city' under the Asian Urbs Programme in partnership with INTACH and, two model cities, Urbino (Italy) and Villeneuve-sur-lot (France) and, recognised the Tamil and French quarters as 'Conservation Zone.'. It is one of the few cities in India that is being promoted as a ‘heritage city.’
The 'French connection' is not the city’s only claim to fame. The Aurobindo Ashram is a major highlight as well. It is a definite stop for all the troubled souls, who rinse their soul in the serenity of the Ashram. We stopped because of the Bengalee connection though, not because we are poor souls.
Travellers like us, who cannot spend hours meditating, can stop to buy incenses, perfumes and candles sold at various shops. In fact, they are easily available anywhere in the city – kiosks, outside temples and vendors. My only claim to please and reach the GOD (their's or mine not sure).
Speaking of Peace, try and find accommodation by the sea. When at five o'clock in the morning you hear the waves crashing against the bedrock, one has to fold hands and pray, not another Tsunami. As me, just before leaving I read in the newspaper that a bigger Tsunami is expected by 2007.
Next night I decided to offer my prayers to the Sea God! I sat at the hotel garden facing the sea and managed an hour of spiritual experience to feel the vastness of this water 'element/ bhuta.' I felt like a mini-Krishna; the whole Bay of Bengal inside me. Now I understand how Swami Vivekananda could stand on a foot!
On day two, my friend and I rode the State tourism bus to see Pondicherry. This included a year and a half old temple dedicated to Hanuman-Varaha-Narasimha-Eagle-Kalki built in cement (a small zoo from Heaven), Pondicherry’s famous handmade paper industry, beaches, Matri Mandir, kiosks selling products made of sea-shells, wood, glass to diamonds and, the back waters.
Four days in hand but the essentials of the place covered in just a day gave us some time to kill. At night we decided to try French cuisine - I will not recommend it. So next night, we went to a street in the French quarter with a French name but had Indian food.
To make life easier for at least the tourists, the streets have both French as well as either an Indian or English names. In fact, Pondi is so far the only Indian city I have visited that has proper signage. But they still left me confused! Luckily I had my friend as a navigator.
Continuing with the cuisine, what was surprising was the Vietnamese connection. In brief, many expelled Vietnamese settled in Pondicherry around 1771. Also, many Pondi residents fought in the Indochina region, to restore the royal family who were ousted by the rebels. There is in fact a legion hall for the retired soldiers - Le Foyer De Soldat - to honour the soldiers who waged wars on behalf of France in Europe and the colonies.
In the evening we decided to take a walk in the botanical garden that has the strangest (exotic) names. The garden has a musical fountain, but I can’t guarantee it works. The gardener told us it was laid out in the French style.
If the garden has over 1500 species of plants, the town has over 150 museums, churches, temples, and mosques. Surprisingly there is a police museum too. Mentioning the Pondi police department, I was impressed with their management and efficiency. One realises particularly as a tourist in the evening when the entire city gets out to the Beach Road to take a stroll and enjoy the fresh breeze from the sea. The traffic is well managed, in fact no traffic movement is allowed for sometime on that road, the police are quite vigilant to stop hooliganism of any sort and the safety of the public.
On the last day we stopped at a few to curio shops to check the South Indian style furniture, beds and settees of the Malabar Coast of Indian workmanship and French fashion, metal sculptures and beautiful lamps, all way beyond what our pockets could afford. But I did take every visiting card, just in case!
Pondicherry is a place where you cannot go just as a tourist. In fact, I tried checking the property price; in case I want to settle down later! It is a resort to holiday in its true sense. A place to wine, dine, shop and walk on the streets of the French Quarter. And if you want a taste of Tamil culture just cross the Grand Canal – without a bridge or a boat! Visit the numerous places of worship if you are religious or even otherwise to appreciate the architecture, the amalgamation of the French and the Tamil.
Four days, and we knew each and every street and food joint. We went to holiday and that's what we did. If one needs to holiday, he/ she needs to do it the right way and at the right place!
