Pondy

I landed in Pondicherry on Christmas day and was greeted at an airport which was the size of a check-in counter at the Delhi Airport, from where I had initially boarded the plane. I would advise everyone to prebook a taxi if possible because there were none available when I arrived and I had to wait for nearly 15 minutes to get one, that too at a steep price.

I had booked a hotel in White Town itself, Fab Express Santhi Inn. It was an average hotel in a great location. I prefer such hotels in relatively small places because they allow you to be mobile, without having to worry about travel. That was the case with my hotel as well, almost every attraction in Pondy was around 1 km from my hotel, all of it easily walkable.

My first stop was the Bureau Central (entry through the cottage shop) where I needed to get my gate pass for the Aurobindo Ashram. It is free of cost and allows access to the Ashram premises and the evening meditation at the Samadhi. You just have to visit the Bureau once and have it made for the duration that you are staying for. I had a completely surreal and transcendent experience the first time I went to the Samadhi, and I would suggest everyone visit here once. The meditation at the Samadhi takes place from 7:25 in the evening for half an hour. The Ashram itself is exceedingly beautiful on the inside. Phones have to be switched off before entering the premises. Footwear can be kept across the road from the Ashram. The Ashram also has a bookstore which I visited the following day. I frequented the Ashram daily during my stay in Pondicherry.

I had also visited the Manakula Vinayagar Temple on my first day in Pondy. It is a temple devoted to Lord Ganesh. Its outer structure is very similar to the ones that you find generally in South India, never the less exquisite. It is extremely beautiful from the inside as well, with its murals and sculptures. There was a five-minute line for the main darshan at the time that I had gone. There are a lot of other deities that you can pray to within these premises.

My favourite place of all, the Promenade Beach laced with the black boulders is just breathtaking. A great place to click pictures and to observe the beauty of the sea splashing on the rocky shoreline. The avenue adjacent to the Sea has plenty of attractions as well including the Mahatma Gandhi statue, the French War Memorial and the old Lighthouse. The whole street is littered with building inspired by the French Architecture. I would suggest going in the evening, the place is more beautifully lit up, lively and more serene.

On my second day here, in the evening, I sat on one of the black boulders that faced the sea and listened to music. An insanely calming experience. If you are fine with the heat, going in the afternoon isn’t a bad bargain either, the benefit being that the beach is almost empty as compared to the evenings.

Opposite the War Memorial is the Lé Cafe. It is the only cafe that faces the ocean, in Pondicherry. The view from the terrace is spectacular, but you can get a great view from the ground floor as well. It is a great place to relax and soak the view of the sea in. The food here was good but a little overpriced.

I visited the Pondicherry Museum the next day apart from my usual trips to the Ashram and the Promenade. The museum, like almost every other museum in India, is not well maintained. That does not mean that what it offers is sub-par in any way. Sculptures and Artifacts ranging from the Prehistoric Era to the 19th-century French Subjugation. My favourites from this place were the Transport section of the museum (that had colonial modes of transport present), the Arikamedu Excavation Exhibit and the Titian painting. It also has an amazing coin collection, weaponry collection and sculptures from the Chola Dynasty as well. It is a good place to spend a couple of hours.

I ate lunch at Cafe dé Flore. It is a bit expensive but the ambience place itself is very nice. Worth a visit.

I also visited the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the evening. To be honest, I did not find it that much of an attraction, I have seen churches with way better interiors. For Non-Christians, if you are not going there to pray, I would suggest that this place can be skipped.

The third day of my trip took me to Auroville. A separate society built on the principles laid down by The Mother, this sprawling setup has a lot to offer. The major attraction is the Martimandir, a mesmerizing gold dome that the Aurovillians use as a place to divine worship and meditation. You have to take a pass at least a day in advance if you want to go inside. In my case, it was booked for the next 4 days completely, probably because I was travelling in the peak season. If that is the case then my advice would be to make the bookings the day you land in Pondicherry. The booking counter is open from 10-11 in the morning and 3-4 in the afternoon except on Tuesday. Back to Auroville, the establishment is just too pristine and beautiful. The nature around you just makes this place even better. Just on entering the premises you will see the information centre and cafeteria. Also present there is the La Boutique d’ Auroville, a handicraft shop that sells goods made by Aurovillians. It is a bit pricey but had a lovely selection. I especially loved the Auroville Papers section of the shop.

The Matrimandir viewing point is accessible by getting a free pass, just outside the information centre. The viewing point itself is over a kilometre away from there. The journey is not tiring at all mostly because of the stunning natural beauty that you are in the midst of. The viewing point was extremely crowded but that didn’t hinder the view of the Matrimandir. Its sheer size will take your breath away for sure. I can only imagine how stunning it would have been from the inside.

The next stop for me was the Serenity beach, a quaint little beach in Tamil Nadu. There are long straits, made of black boulders, that you can sit on and take in the view in front of you. You can admire the beauty of this beach by walking along its shore and enjoying the water rushing onto your feet. This is not as frequently visited by tourists as some other spots in the city, so I would recommend this to every beach lover. I then topped off the day but doing some shopping for souvenirs and books. You can buy books (related to Sri Aurobindo and Mother) either from the Ashram itself or from the Sabada Branch just outside the Ashram. I also bought souvenirs from Aura on the Promenade. Other good places to shop are the Cottage, Kalki and Janaki.

My last in Pondy just had me visit the Promenade and the Ashram for the last time. I spent the whole evening in the Promenade, writing, which was a great experience.

My tips for a visit to Pondicherry would that keep it as an add on to some other trip to the South. Transport is a tad bit expensive but if you plan out each day you can reduce the cost drastically. 2 full days are enough to see this whole place and be blown away by its beauty.