Pondy / Pondicherry / Puducherry
Was I in France or India?
30.12.2017 - 30.12.2017
Pondicherry / Puducherry was formerly the largest French Colony in India and an important trading town. There is still a strong French influence in the city's layout with wide boulevards and French-style houses, street signs in French, policemen with their round French style hats but the city is still undoubtedly Indian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherry
http://www.pondytourism.in/about-us.php
The union territory of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry; generally known as ‘Pondy’) was under French rule until 1954. Some people here still speak French (and English with French accents). Hotels, restaurants and ‘lifestyle’ shops sell a seductive vision of the French-subcontinental aesthetic, enhanced by Gallic creative types and Indian artists and designers. The internationally famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot just north of town, Auroville, draw large numbers of spiritually minded visitors. Thus Pondy’s vibe: less faded colonial-era ville, more bohemian-chic, New Age–meets–Old World hang-out on the international travel trail.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/tamil-nadu/puducherry-pondicherry
Someone important.
Hot Breads Pomegranate juice 60 rupees / NZ$1.25 / US$0.90 and along with their vegetarian pasta combo pasta, garlic toast, nuggets, mini pastry and small soft drink 180 rupees / NZ$3.80 / US$2.80 became my lunch. With those nasty local and state GST taxes came to 252 rupees/ NZ$5.30 / US$3.90.
Checked in Abirami Residency for a short break before off again ...
From our hotel
Sri Aurobindo Ghose
Learnt a bit about Sri Aurobindo Ghose at the ashram. No photos. Silence as we walked around the meditative courtyard and sat for 10 minutes with other devotees in their dark Crimson long robes watching people file pass the tomb.
Then through the library where some brought books.
Founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a French-born woman, ‘the Mother’, this famous spiritual community has about 2000 members in its many departments. Aurobindo's teachings focus on 'integral yoga' that sees devotees work in the world, rather than retreat from it. Visits to the main, grey-walled ashram building are cursory: you see the flower-festooned samadhi of Aurobindo and the Mother, then the bookshop.
http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/
Street hawker outside Sri Aurobindo Ghose
Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Next block was the Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple. Again no photos inside. With the guy on the drum and another on a horn, music filled the temple.
Learnt a little bit about Krishna.
Manakula Vinayagar Temple (Tamil: மணக்குள விநாயகர் கோவில்) is a Hindu temple in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India.
Dedicated to the god Ganesa, it is a popular pilgrimage site and tourist destination in Puducherry. The temple is of considerable antiquity and predates French occupation of the territory. During the tenure of Dupleix, there were attempts to destroy the temple, but it was spared owing to strong protests from the Hindu population and the threat of British and Maratha invasion of the territory. Thanks Mr Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manakula_Vinayagar_Temple
http://www.pondytourism.in/iconics-innerpage.php?id=24&district=Puducherry&category=198
http://www.manakulavinayagartemple.com/
A walk down towards the waterfront.
Traffic police & Police
By now it was nearly dark and with an hour spare before dinner Andrea & I walked along the promenade as far as the closed off pier. Wonder how the people got onto the pier when the gate was closed?
The promenade was crowded with locals enjoying the cool sea breeze. Preparations were underway for New Year's celebrations.
Pondy is a seaside town, but that doesn’t make it a beach destination; the city’s sand is a thin strip of dirty brown that slurps into a seawall of jagged rocks. But Goubert Ave (Beach Rd) is a killer stroll, especially at dawn and dusk when half the town takes a romantic wander. In a stroke of genius, authorities have banned traffic here from 6pm to 7.30am.
The police band turned up and gave a performance. Actually I think that it was a photo shoot as some young female police officers had to before shown how to hold the instruments before getting their photo taken.
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Being by the sea it was another snapper fish with prawn pepper sauce and mash potato dinner at Satsanga – a French & Italian Restaurant. With it being busy season, the service wasn’t exactly the best. 750 rupees / NZ$15.80 / US$11.60 all up including the Kingfisher beer 220 rupees / NZ$4.60 / US$3.40.
http://pondicherryinfo.in/main/locations/satsanga-guest-house-restaurant-in-pondicherry/
A half hour walk back to Abirami Residency. In fact it was quicker to take one’s life into ones hands and walk along the street as oppose the footpath.
Posted by bruceontour 01:17 Archived in India
