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Pondicherry pier visible from a rocky shore of Pondicherry Promenade in India

Three Reasons I will return to Pondicherry and Auroville

For the uninitiated, Pondicherry – an ex-French colonial settlement – where the West merges with the East, can induce a culture shock. With an Old Quarter lined with colourful colonial buildings, crisscrossing French-style Rues and Avenues, and a coastal promenade, Pondicherry earns the well-deserved epithet “La Côte d’Azur de l’Est” or the French Riviera of the East. 

With 20 days of college remaining, a group of like-minded people decided to visit their favourite locale one last time as students. We chose to forego Parisian for Bohemian and settled into the beach shacks of Auroville. On all previous trips, the focus was always on Pondicherry. In this au revoir, we decided to bring our experiences a full circle by immersing ourselves in the tranquillity of Auroville – a township that aspires to become universal and harmonious.

Here is how the trip summated the three reasons that would always convince me to revisit Pondicherry and Auroville –  

SPIRITUALITY

Wide angle photo of Auroville's Matrimandir golden globe and the banyan tree over its lawns
                                                                                                     Matrimandir and the Banyan tree

Three days before our trip, I communicated with the Matrimandir management to book the entry passes for the Inner Chamber. The staff seemed selective about who they let into their sanctum sanctorum. Once I had satisfied her inquiries, she instructed us to report at the Auroville Visitor’s Center on a given date and time. 

The morning after we reached Pondicherry, our day began by watching the story of Auroville, screened at the Video Room of the Visitor Center. After we travelled to the Park of Unity in an electric shuttle, our guide, a French lady, narrated the story again, this time with a personal touch. We sat on stone benches in an open area meant for a future lake and listened to her. She explained the past and planned future of the Matrimandir – the soul of Auroville. 

The History and Purpose of Auroville

Auroville was a vision of Sri Aurobindo and his collaborator Mirra Alfassa (the Mother) for establishing a place that nurtured the unity of all existence. They wanted to help people to live in peace and harmony in a universal township irrespective of their caste, creed, or nationality. 

The dreamed community would not belong to any nation, indulge in politics or war, or decide an individual’s worth based on wealth or social standing. Work would be a way of self-expression rather than merely a source of subsistence. The uplifted community, in turn, would provide for the individual. They visualized a future place of enriching and accessible education, creative arts, research, and constant progress (without destabilizing its core values).

The Matrimandir
Left: Lotus Pond, Top Right: Inner Chamber, Bottom Right: Vertical ray of sunlight (Courtesy: Auroville)

While she held our attention, no phones rang, and no cameras flashed. We had handed over our bags and worldly sources of distractions in a locker room. 

Later, in absolute silence, she led us to the Matrimandir entrance. We ascended the stairs of the Golden Globe barefoot. I had been here once before, during the summer of 2003, when the temple was still under construction and entry was not limited or selective.

The temperature, 10 degrees cooler than the weather outside, was already soothing our weariness. Before ascending the spiral ramp that leads to the Inner Chamber, we put on clean white socks handed to us to cover our feet. That seemed to serve an additional purpose than just keeping the floor clean. It made the walk on the cold marble comfortable. 

The Inner Chamber of Matrimandir is the most soundless, calm-inducing place I have ever entered. The white marble room, at its centre, has a crystal orb. A single ray of sunlight enters through an opening at the top of the Golden Globe and penetrates the crystal. The thin beam then travels the vertical length of the Matrimandir to the Lotus Pond beneath it. 

The lights dimmed as we sat there in silence. I introspected, concentrating on my thoughts and feelings, which for a change, weren’t chaotic. After a while, the play of natural light around the chamber caught my attention and held it. It was mesmerizing how the orb was refracting sunlight around the room every time the source of this universal light peeked out of the clouds and descended upon the crystal. 

When the lights toggled on and off after fifteen minutes, it was a silent signal for us to leave the chamber. We dropped the used socks in bins on the way down. 

                                                                                              Community contributors of Auroville

Outside, I looked up to appreciate the exterior beauty of the shining dome. More than a thousand golden discs cover its surface, making it look like a sphere with a beehive pattern from a distance. A few residents were hanging on safety harnesses about 25 feet above the ground. They were polishing the golden plates as their contribution to the Auroville community.

We then went to the ‘south pole’ of the golden dome, to the Lotus Pond beneath the Matrimandir. The pond resembled a lotus, with a waterfall made of 216 cascading marble petals encircling another crystal orb at its centre. The crystal was glowing, lit with the same thread of sunlight we had seen in the Inner Chamber. The thin ray has traversed 95 feet of the dome’s vertical axis. A brainchild of French architect Roger Anger, the Matrimandir is an architectural marvel aside from being a temple of spirituality.

At the end of the enlightening tour, we were at the Amphitheater that had witnessed the inauguration ceremony of Auroville. During that ceremony in 1968, delegates from 124 nations put their nation’s soil into a lotus bud-shaped urn. Today the vessel stands in the middle of the Amphitheater, a reminder of solidarity in support of a shared dream. 

Pondicherry will always hold a special place in my heart for providing easy access to Auroville, the society that envisions a mutual vision of harmony and equality – a world without borders.

THE ARTISTIC FRENCH QUARTER 

Palais de Mahe – CGH Earth by Richard Mortel, via Flickr

One day, we ditched the two-wheelers. The four consecutive streets parallel to the promenade are pedestrian-friendly. The trees on its verdant avenues shadowed us from the afternoon heat. Meandering through the French Quarter, we let Pondicherry reveal its layers at its own unhurried pace. 

The Aesthetics of the French Quarter

The heritage buildings add life to these quaint streets and are an intriguing study in aesthetic design. Bursting predominantly in shades of yellow with white-bordered windows, they held my attention from the moment we ventured into these grid-shaped lanes. The vibrant hues energized us even in the balmy weather, making us cheerful and optimistic in our aimless walk. We could apprehend its part in inspiring creativity all around. 

Besides the colour, the style was uniformly picturesque across the villas and mansions converted into boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and hotels. Most colonial buildings of Pondicherry have arched wooden doors, jalousie windows, and overhanging balconies, creating a European look, if not quintessential French.

An Indian woman sitting on a bench in front of a yellow house, with potted plants on the porch, in Pondicherry's French Quarter
Gratitude Heritage homestay by Alex Drainville, via Flickr

The houses with open doors gave us a peek into courtyards with potted plants and adorned verandas. There was an occasional touch of bougainvillaea creeping over the tall walls. Rue Romain Rolland was particularly enchanting. The street has many plant-lined facades of heritage hotels, like Palais de Mahe and De L’Orient, and the beautifully restored Gratitude Heritage House. At Rue Dumas sits the heritage library, the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, or the French School of the Far East.

Past and Present of the French Quarter 

Spacious, immaculate, and opulent, the French Quarter of Pondicherry is a world away from the reality of India. The bohemian culture and artistry of the edifices further pull at your heartstrings. An unpleasant appendage is its racist alternative name, White Town, which many use to date. Setting that aside, the erstwhile French Colony in Pondicherry has many desirable traces of its past occupants.

Yellow buildings in Pondicherry's French colony with plants and a tree in front of them
The heritage library Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient (French School of the Far East) by Richard Mortel, via Wikimedia Commons

An amalgamation of influences – Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French – has caused this gentrification of Pondicherry. Tangible impacts are visible in the architectural style, grid street layout, appealing streetscape, and the presence of a promenade. But the French connection that lasted more than 200 years goes beyond the surface and is prominent in its culture. The influence is evident in street names prefixed with Rue, bilingual menu cards of the eateries, French medium schools like Lycée Français de Pondichéry, and even the locals’ additional linguistic prowess.

Like the conservation and restoration of art, the residents have safeguarded this old-world charm with utmost care. The vintage now fuses with contemporary graffiti on the walls lining the streets and interiors of the cafes. Pondicherry, above and beyond, has inspired many writers, dancers, musicians, artists, and predictably the ‘Pondicherry Yellow’ colour palette of Asian Paints. These artistic hallmarks of the French Quarter of Pondicherry are why I may return to search for inspiration or rediscover its creative expressions.

GASTRONOMICAL DELIGHTS

Coq au Vin on a white plate
Coq au Vin, by Ewan Munroe via Wikimedia Commons

One of the first things that come to my mind every time I think of Pondicherry is Food. 

Flavorsome. French. Food. 

Riding from Auroville, the rendezvous of our two-wheelers on the first night was ‘Rendezvous.’ After a few wrong turns around identical and perpendicular streets, we finally found the restaurant. But the French eatery couldn’t live up to its hype, with every French item on their menu unavailable. The dinner was decent, with unremarkable steaks and sizzlers. 

But the next day, another restaurant called Satsanga made up for the previous night’s disappointment. After experiencing spiritualism at Auroville, we hunted down this place on Rue La Bourdonnais, run by a French ex-pat. The setting was relaxing, with tables arranged on porches surrounding a courtyard. The courtyard had a garden where they grew fresh produces through organic farming. The food served on our table was impeccable in taste. The steaks were mouthwatering, the seafood felt fresh, and they quenched my desire for coq au vin before visiting France. 

Different types of chocolates on plates against an orange satin cloth inside Baker Street, a French confectionary store in Pondicherry
                                                                                  Confectioneries at Baker Street, Pondicherry

For desserts, we arrived at Baker Street. It is not a literal street but a concept store of French delicacies. They had varieties of chocolates, delectable pastries, and oh-so-flaky croissants. Villa Shanti served an equally good al fresco breakfast the next day in the courtyard of a 19th-century villa.

But what tantalized my taste buds was the decadent chocolate cake of Auroville Bakery, which I stopped by after the Matrimandir visit. They also sell other freshly baked goods, like brioche, baguettes, croissants, quiches, and tarts.

This ease of mix-and-matching a wholesome gastronomic experience makes Pondicherry one of the top destinations to visit in India for the gourmand in me. 

BONUS: A PEACEFUL SEASIDE

                                                                                                           Auroville Beach at sunrise

The Pondicherry trip had not started on a happy note, with anxiety over the choice of our stay location. While on the way from Chennai to Pondicherry, we received the tragic news of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A red alert in Chennai and nearby coastal areas followed. In retrospect, youthful abandon eventually egged us on to stay on the Auroville beach despite the tsunami warning. Fortunately for us, the tsunami never repeated its devastation of 2004.

Most of my days began earlier than my friends when I would wake up at the break of dawn and stroll down the deserted Auroville beach. The sea felt serene in the mornings, with waves crashing on the shore while the sun hovered inches above the horizon. Standing there alone, with the waves touching my feet, I tried to comprehend its infinitude. Its limitlessness harbours life and bestows bliss. The harrowing images of Japan also made me realize the ocean can wreck our lives and bring sorrow. Its still and restful state was something to be grateful for.

                                                                                                         Pondicherry Old Port Pier

The beaches of Pondicherry may not be the best in the country, but they are better than what we had in Chennai. The promenade is perfect for a breezy evening stroll between the rocky shore and rows of colonial-era buildings. Our favourite, however, was the old port pier at the southern end of the Pondicherry Promenade. It was thrilling to hop its supporting pillars during low tides until the splashes from the waves would drench us. Our Pondicherry sojourns came to a close here, looking out towards the vast horizon and an uncertain yet hopeful future. 

Travel Tips:

1. We hired scooters from Mission Street after paying a security deposit of Rs. 2,500. The per day price starts from Rs. 300, depending on the scooter you choose.

2. Auroville Amphitheater hosts huge gatherings and bonfires on three days of the year – on 1st January (the occasion of a new beginning), on 28th February (Auroville’s Anniversary), and on 15th August (Sri Aurobindo’s Birthday). 

Comments

6 responses to “Three Reasons I will return to Pondicherry and Auroville”

  1. Unknown avatar

    Very well described indeed!

  2. Sang avatar

    Thank you 🙂

  3. I don't blog! avatar

    🙂 thats all u did in Pondy???? 😛

  4. Sang avatar

    Not exactly… But I chose to put a limit to my artistic freedom 😉

  5. venkat_(n)ever_thinking avatar

    Amazing post.. it took my hand and guided me through those faded lanes of memory which came alive reading this post :)Amazing pics.. especially the first one 🙂

  6. Sang avatar

    Thank you! The first picture is a favourite of mine too 🙂