Pondicherry
by Shradha Aiyer TE CE
I begged for a break after brain wrecking sem-4 exams! A whimsical offer for Pondicherry came as a life saver! Mom and I are travel buddies and our philosophy is “pack-your-bags-in-a jiffy-and fly off into the sunset”!
Pondicherry won our heart with a simple phrase ‘The seven day weekend’. Pondicherry is quaintest district in all of India. This little treasure hugs the Bay of Bengal, a short drive from Chennai along the East Coast Road.
Pondicherry or Pudu-cheri is “NEW TOWN” with an ancient history, the influence of the 17th Century colonisers- the French, the Dutch, and the English, still very much alive.
Pondicherry has distinct French-and Indian Quarters. The French Quarter displays century old heritage buildings lovingly restored to their original glory! Everything has a French touch! The French grid pattern and perpendicular streets ensures you can’t get lost!. Most interestingly, streets retain their French names- “Rue de la Bussey”! The French invasion doesn’t end here. French onion soup, French wines and crepes, perfumes- even French uniform for the police you have it all! The Indian quarters are as confused as any other town.
Our UNESCO award winner heritage hotel L’Orient is tucked into the French Quarters. As soon as we arrived, such bliss! Sixteen rooms, each one unique; with colonial decor.
We could hear the ocean from our room. Creole food for lunch had us napping! Stepping out, the June weather was surprisingly pleasant. Our first stop was Aurobindo ashram, a must visit while in Pondicherry. We were struck with the calming yet powerful energy around the Samadhi of Sir Aurobindo and the Mother. It was tough dragging mom away from their book Shoppe.
Wandering in the bustling bazaar, we were delighted to discover the factory outlet of Hidesign- the landmark of Pondicherry Industry! Such bargains! Tough to resist their trendy leather bags. A pink delight was mine at last!
Mom and I opted for a French dinner at the romantic restaurant ‘Rendezvous’.
And a post-dinner walk along the well-lit festive Bay road. With waves crashing, my toes sunk into cool soft sand, and the sound of laughter all around me, I finally let go of my exam stress. Sighing deeply, I sent a prayer to the BIG GUY up there for this time called life!
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