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Pondicherry
Excavations in the Arikamedu area on the right bank of the Ariyankuppam river, 6 km South
of Pondicherry town, have revealed that a port town flourished here over 2000
years ago which had trading links with Rome and Greece. And it continued to
flourish during the Chola period in the 10th and 11th centuries.
More
recently, French dreams of having an empire in India began and ended with
Pondicherry. The French arrived in 1673 and ruled for the better part of 300
years till, in 1954, Pondicherry became a part of the Indian Union. The Union
Territory of Pondicherry comprises of four scattered coastal enclaves -
Pondicherry (or Puducheri, as it is called today) and Karaikal in
Tamilnadu, Yanam in
Andhra Pradesh and, Mahe in
Kerala on the West
coast.
These scattered territories contain in them the best of the
French influence in India, which makes them, particularly its headquarters
Pondicherry, something unique and quite different from the rest of India.
Traces of the French influence are seen in the policeman's 'kepi', spellings on
signboards and buildings, names of roads and public places, and the accented
Tamil, English and French that can still be heard. The French heritage is also
visible in the neatly laid roads, wide beaches, imposing churches, the statues
of Joan of Arc and Joseph Dupleix, who was the Governor of the French colonies
from 1742-54 and, in some superb restaurants which serve authentic and
delectable French cuisine!
The abiding influence which now permeates
everything in Pondicherry is that of Sri Aurobindo, the great seer,
prophet and poet of the twentieth century. The stormy petrel of the Indian
freedom movement in Bengal, Aurobindo moved to French Pondicherry in 1910 when
the British started hounding him. Here he founded an Ashram to give shape to
his ideals - his vision that an era dominated by man's mind would come next in
the evolutionary cycle; and that adaptation to the age of the super-mind would
be easier through a system of 'internal Yoga', synthesising yoga and modern
science.
In 1924, Aurobindo was joined by a Paris-born painter-musician
who became his disciple and close companion till his death in 1950. Coming to
be known as 'The Mother', she guided the growth of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Today, the Ashram draws people from all over the world, and its inmates have
become a community that plays a dominant role in keeping Pondicherry an 'oasis
of serenity'. The birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, 15th August, is a very
special day at the Ashram, when thousands of people from all over the world
visit it to pay homage to him.
Under the influence of Sri Aurobindo
Ashram several other yoga learning centres have come up in Pondicherry
including the world renowned International Centre for Yoga Education &
Research, popularly known as the Ananda Ashram. An annual
International Yoga Festival, held from 4th to 7th January, attracts
participants from every part of the globe. Aiming to develop the conscious
process at all levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, the festival
programme includes practical yoga classes and discussions on various yogic
topics.
Temples and churches form an integral part of the ethos of
Pondicherry. The striking thing during a visit is that people worshipping in
churches or temples or those paying homage at a dargah, do so in complete
harmony! The most significant of the important churches is the
terracotta-and-white painted Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus, dedicated
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is famous for its gothic architecture and rare
and beautiful stained glass panels depicting the life of Christ. The other
notable churches are the Eglise De Notre Dame de la Immaculate
Conception and the Eglise De Notre Dame des Anges in Pondicherry, as
well as the Eglise De Notre Dame de Lourdes in Villiyanur, 9 km from
Pondicherry.
More than 350 temples dot the region in and around
Pondicherry; some, built by the Cholas, date back to the 10th and 12th
centuries. The most celebrated are the 18th century Veda Puriswarar
Temple, the Manakulavinayagar Temple, the Panchanadeeswarar
Temple at Thiruvandarkoil, with its 10th century sculptures, and the 12th
century Sri Gokilambal Thirukameswarar Temple, which is considered
architecturally the finest, and is located at Villiyanur. Around mid-May each
year, on the day of the full moon, Villiyanur celebrates the Car festival when
the gaily decorated temple car, towering over 15m high, is drawn by hundreds of
devotees and taken out in a procession around the town.
The Tamil
poet-patriot Subramanya Bharathi, popularly known as Bharathiyar, came to
Pondicherry in 1908, a fugitive from British India, like Sri Aurobindo (who
came two years later). He wrote some of his finest patriotic and romantic
compositions here. Another great Tamil poet, Kanakasubburatnam, whose works
compare with Bharathi's in patriotic fervour, was born in Pondicherry. He
assumed the name Bharathidasan, meaning 'the disciple of Bharathi'. The houses
of both these highly revered poets, converted to the Bharathi and
Bharatidasan Memorial Museums, are visited in large numbers by the
people of Tamil Nadu.
The lovely 1.5 km beach is clean and the
water cool, soothing and unpolluted - ideal for sunbathing, swimming or
relaxing. Cooled by the breeze from the Bay of Bengal, the promenade attracts
the residents for strolls, jogging or merely sitting on the parapet by the sea
and letting the mind wander.
Just North of the border, in Tamil Nadu, is
the 'City of Dawn' Auroville, envisioned as the 'Universal Town' and
developed under the guidance of The Mother with the cooperation of many
nations. Launched in 1968, and still being developed, it symbolises an
experiment in international living where people from different faiths,
nationalities and beliefs can live in peace and harmony. The vast meditation
hall and spiritual centre, Matrimandir, lies at the heart of the
township, surrounded by 800 acres of land. The 1000-odd residents live in 14
communes, speak 55 different languages, but have a common goal - to evolve into
fuller human beings.
Eight k.m. south of Pondicherry is
Chunnambar, renowned for its beautiful beaches and scenic backwaters. A
beach resorts and Water Sports Centre here offer opportunities for yachting,
wind-surfing and boating, as also a thrilling high speed ride on a hydro-plane.
You can even take a sea cruise and watch dolphins at play. Another really
pleasant and relaxing experience is a river cruise from the new port in Uppalam
to Arikamedu, the site of the ancient Roman settlement. Karaikal, the
second region of the Union Territory in Tamil Nadu, lies 132 km south of
Pondicherry along the coast. It has a rich religious heritage and is the chosen
destination for many pilgrims in search of peace and tranquility. Of the many
shrines in the area, the most popular are the Darbaranyeswar Temple at
Thirunallar, the Dargah of Mastan Syed Dawood, the Nagore Andavar
Dargah and the Vailankanni Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Good
Health, which is visited by people of all faiths. The temple at Thirunallar,
five km West of Karaikal, houses Lord Saturn, and is said to be the only Saturn
temple in India.
Shopping In Pondicherry - Pondicherry dolls, made
of plaster of parts, papier-mache or terracotta, called 'Puducheri Bommai', and
'korai' mats, made from a species of grass found in the area, make good gifts.
A guided tour of the Anglo-French Textile Mills, established over a
century ago, is not only an educative experience, but also a rewarding one
since you get a ten percent rebate on anything you buy there. The much
acclaimed fabrics of the mill make ideal mementoes and gifts. You could also
pick up fine marbled silk and hand-dyed fabrics, handmade paper, handloom rugs
and bedspreads, pottery and incense sticks made at the Ashram.
If you
are looking for a quiet sojourn, away from the cares of modern life and are
seeking tranquility, inner peace and harmony, there are few places to rival
Pondicherry.
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