Pondicherry: the eternal whisper of the Coromandel coast

By Christina Daniels

It is not uncommon for a city to have its own character and history. It's also not unusual for a gentle breeze to raise her heavily brocaded robe ever so little, revealing tantalising markets of yore or the unknown wilds with a pull of their own. But not all of them can conjure up a mood.

Cities that do ... linger on, haunting the senses and leaving an imprint on the mind. Pondicherry does just that to you.

Cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws that still use rubber horns and cyclists weave their way through her narrow streets, dotted with quaint houses of an old-world charm. A smattering of French ... a name on a shop window ... cuisine at a Pondi cafe - all remind one of an age where Dupleix reigned supreme. Positioned against the horizon is the silver sand, the frothing waves that reach up to meet the blinding white light of the sun - reminiscent of the Mediterranean. As the soft morning wind merges into a lazy, humid Pondicherry afternoon, time stands still.

Excavations in the area have revealed a Roman settlement here, proving that Pondicherry has a history that is at least 2000 years old. Myth and history have added their brush strokes to the mystique of Pondicherry. It is said that the legendary sage Agasthya chose Pondicherry as the site for his ashram for the pursuit of higher learning. Tradition also links Pondicherry to the long-forgotten Vedapuri, a settlement of scholars well-versed with the Vedas.

Between the 13th and the 16th centuries, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Naiks of Thanjavur and the Sultan of Bijapur brought their influence to this town, off the Coromandel coast. By the seventeenth century, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the French had landed. But, it was the French who would etch their mark on Pondicherry's history. French dreams of an Indian empire began and ended in Pondicherry. The French lost Pondicherry to the Dutch in war, but won her back in 1699 for 16,000 pagodas. And so began an association that continues.

Poets Sri Subramania Bharathi and Sri Bharathidasan also brought their touch of intellectualism to the town. And when Sri Aurobindo chose Pondicherry to be his home in 1910, Pondicherry now had a spiritual calling that was uniquely her own. Pondicherry of the 20th century must be experienced at four levels - the visual, the historical, the intellectual and the spiritual. There are also the in-between grey areas.

The visual is all around. But, its splendour is best seen along the Pondicherry coastline. Pondicherry's 1.5 km-long beach stands as a testimony to the relationship between the sea, sky and sand as it was at the beginning of time. History lurks around. You can't miss the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and the War Memorial built along the beach or the lighthouse and the 284 m-long pier ... but in the end all that the eye sees is the exuberance of the sea ... it is nature that reigns supreme.

But, whispers from the past continue to pass through Pondicherry's streets and wrap themselves around the overwhelming present. The Botanical Gardens and the Jawaharlal Nehru Toy Museum bring a touch of the modern. The historical and the intellectual are intertwined in the Bharathi Memorial Museum and the Bharathidasan Museum. There is also the Romain Rolland Library that has at least 60,000 volumes, including some rare French books.

But, it is Pondicherry's spiritual calling that has actuated the weary from around the world to throng this place. The town is home to the Sama Koil Church, the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, the Sri Tirukameswarar Temple, the Thiruvanandar Temple, the Sacred Heart Church, the Eglise de Notre Dame de Anges and the Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes. But above all, it was here that Sri Aurobindo attained self-realization. His ashram at Pondicherry is the starting point of many a quest of the spirit; a journey that could perhaps reach its culmination at Auroville or "the City of Dawn".

For the uninitiated, Auroville is the global township, 8 km from Pondicherry, born of the inspiration of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The Aurovillian charter proclaims that the city belongs to humanity as a whole. It is to be a place of unending education ... a bridge between the past and the future ... a site of material and spiritual research.

But, Auroville also embodies the call of the wild. It has the pull of the wilderness, the excitement of the unexplored. Auroville's mud roads give the impression of paths carved through the surrounding shrubbery.

And from this town that is yet finding its form comes life and path-breaking innovation. Here, in the middle of nowhere, Joss Brookes plants trees and turns Pitchandikulum Lake into a forest. The Centre for Scientific Research develops appropriate technology and the community builds a gigantic solar kitchen which can feed 1,000 people.

At the very centre of the township is the Matrimandir, a massive dome-like structure that was envisioned as the soul of the city. And always, somewhere in the background, are the huge water-pumping windmills dotting the landscape, their fans moving slowly in the breeze.

It is this stillness, the sense of peace after a long and violent search that extends itself all around Pondicherry. And as night closes in after a hectic day of sightseeing, you could spend some time watching the ocean lash the rocks under the moon.

And as you close your eyes for a minute of quiet reflection ... you are struck by your own transience. And then for an instant everything descends into nothingness. Only Pondicherry is.

Getting There

Pondicherry is connected to most of the main cities by rail. If you are looking to try the aerial route, the Chennai airport is a good launching pad.

Alternatively, you could try to reach Pondicherry by road from Chidambaram (64 km), Chennai (160 km) Thanjavur (177 km) or Tiruchirapalli (209km).

Some of the best places to stay here are Hotel Anandha, Hotel Pondicherry Ashok, and the many guest houses run by the Aurobindo Ashram such as Park Guest House, International Guest House and the Sea Side Guest House.

Aristo Guest House, Surya Swastika Guest House and the Pondicherry Tourism Department Guest House are good places to stay if you are looking for budget accommodation.

People here speak English, French, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.

Pondicherry's multi-cuisine variety speaks of the integration of many cultures. French, Continental, Thai, Vietnamese, Tamilian, Malayalee, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati and Punjabi fare - all find their way into Pondicherry's restaurants.

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