Passage to Puducherry

How many times has winter given way to spring?” a poet once wrote. In the graceful region of Southern India, there exists the beautiful French colonial haven Pondicherry (now called Puducherry), which is easily accessible from the city of Chennai. Here, you will see the fascinating influence of the French, which has resulted in an amazing synergy between the two countries.

“This haven has gone through a very challenging history but has flourished triumphantly as one savors its rich heritage,” enthused our tour guides, dynamic father Anoop Daswani and his son Gautam, whose love of great places, food and culture is simply infectious.

From Madras, currently called Chennai (the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu), it was a two-hour drive through the rustic countryside with its own distinctive architecture, gentle landscape, bright flower fields, attractive beachfront properties and the popular movie complex where cinema aficionados flock to watch their favorite local stars and films. No wonder the Bollywood industry, which produces over 1,000 films a year, is alive with such dynamic support.

Chocolate Clothing Company’s Mukesh Advani may have frequented Southern India but it was his first time to visit Puducherry and his very good friend Anoop showed off his driving skills in an animated style that elicited laughter from our rambunctious gang.

Puducherry is a unique combination of heritage, art de vivre, authenticity and diversity. It is also the favored land of emerald green waters, tall, swaying, tropical palms where the sky mirrors a multitude of hues and a diverse dichotomy features a cultural evolution. Men in traditional white and women in shocking pink, lime green, sapphire blue or citron yellow go about their daily lives. Women add shine to their lustrous black hair with coconut oil and adorn their long tresses with scarlet blossoms or snow-white jasmine. To bring good fortune to their homes, white rice flour paste is used to create curvilinear rangoli designs on russet-toned earthen walls and doorsteps. This awesome locale, preserved for posterity, reeks of an enchanting spiritual aura, colonial heritage, Tamil culture and a cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities. Pondicherry needs to be experienced for one to truly understand its essence.

A walking tour along the promenade fronting the Bay of Bengal proves to all and sundry that indeed Puducherry is a well-planned city. With its street signs in French, it has a distinctive look as government buildings, beautiful avenues and the old cottages exude a colonial charm shared by few other Indian cities. The city is the capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry, a seaport on the Coromandel Coast. In spite of its diminutive size, Pondicherry is like a magnet that attracts a large percentage of tourists visiting India. Home to the great poet Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (whose real name was Mirra Alfassa, an accomplished pianist and painter born in Paris,) the fabulous statues of Joseph Francis Dupleix and Joan of Arc, the warrior saint of France, are living monuments of French fervor.

Interesting to note is that the history of Puducherry dates back to the 1st century AD. Ancient texts describe a flourishing trade between this Southern part of India and Europe. Other dynasties that once ruled include the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagar empire and the sultanate of Bijapur. The French East India Company set up a trading post here in 1674. After being a French settlement, it went on to be a Dutch and British settlement but the French were allowed to retain their Indian possessions till 1954, after which Puducherry was declared a union territory in 1963. A number of large organizations are still working here to preserve the French culture and heritage. Of these, the notable ones include the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Pondicherry Center of the Ecole, and various Catholic-run educational establishments.

Charming inn-timate lodgings one can choose from include the Le Dupleix, which offers a fusion between the rich, colonial heritage and a contemporary flavor.

This luxury boutique heritage hotel, with 14 well-appointed rooms nestling in an 18th-century French colonial villa, was originally built for the “Maire” Mayor of Pondicherry.

From the same group is the fabulous Promenade, a Hidesign Hotel located in the French Quarter, on the seafront. The hotel is located beside the old lighthouse opposite the Gandhi statue. The Promenade is also a luxury boutique hotel on the oceanfront of one of India’s most beautiful and romantic towns. Most of the rooms overlook the shimmering waters of the Bay of Bengal. The town’s colonial villas, tree-laden parks and attractive cafes are just a block away. Puducherry’s busy shopping district, a well-known center for handicrafts and fashion goods, is a just a 10-minute walk away.

Anoop’s favorite al fresco restaurant in the city is called Rendezvous where one can sample a sumptuous selection of flavorful vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine, tandoori or Indian clay pot, fresh tandoori breads, biryanis and samosas.

The Government Park forms the center. Antique buildings, tracing back to the 18th century, lie along a grid of straight clean streets. These house French institutions, private homes and businesses, and the sprawling premises of the famous “Sri Aurobindo Ashram.” The Aayi Mandapam at the center of the park is the most well-known monument. There is also the French Consulate in Pondicherry and several cultural organizations, and even the Foyer du Soldat for war veterans of the French Army. Of the cultural organizations, the French Institute, the Alliance François and the Ecole François d’ Extrème Orient are noteworthy.

Puducherry is a perfect base to explore the rich destinations around it — Auroville, the international City of Unity; the imposing Gingee Fort, the holy temple towns of Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Chidambaram; the heritage sculptures and magnificent rock temples of Mahabalipuran. Further inland is Madurai, a lively temple center where medieval acts of faith are enacted daily.

Puducherry is a favorite shopping destination of the southern metropolitan cities. It is known for its traditional doll-making, cotton textiles and silks and also world-class brands in leather, pottery, aromatics, fashion and handmade paper. A new trend is the proliferation of exquisite boutiques offering lifestyle products and export-quality, antique furniture galleries.

Winter gives way to spring when cities like Puducherry continue to inspire others by the way they flourish. A passage to Puducherry is a celebration of the senses, an ode to discover and explore the beauty and culture of India in the most enchanting way.

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For more information on tours to Chennai and Puducherry, e-mail anoopdaswani@hotmail.com. For inquiries and reservations, contact Promenade Hote, Le Dupleix Hotel Sanjay Mukherjee at promenade@sarovarhotels.com, www.sarovarhotels.com.