Pondicherry - a French Connection

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Pondicherry is where we found a little bit of France in Southern India together with an international community of free spirits. Up until 1954 the town was a French colony and still maintains its French character with tree lined boulevards with French names and the policemen wearing kepis. Many of the buildings in the French quarter are maintained in their original colonial style. The promenade along the seafront could have been lifted from a French sea-side town.

Other than the town itself the main attraction is the international community of about 550 free spirits living in the nearby 'village' of Auroville just outside Pondicherry. Set up in the Summer of Love in 1968 it is a community of dedicated souls, many from Europe, living their lives in peace and harmony with their surroundings and fellow beings. They work in the local community and run quality craft shops which sell goods at the visitors' centre. Most of the visitors, and there are many, come to experience the peace and tranquillity of the surroundings and the enormous gold plated dome known as the Matri Mandir which lies at the heart of the community and which is essentially a giant meditation cente set in an area of 62 acres.

In the spirit of the alternative lifestyle, our accommodation was an eco-hotel. Our room was a little lodge made out of recycled materials with very low voltage lighting and solar water heating and we had to cycle to the restaurant, pool and beach which wasn't Lynne's idea of relaxation in this climate. Pleased to say that she took advantage of the spa treatments there and after an hour long face massage and herbal steam treatment the sinus problems have finally taken their leave. John, meanwhile, had an excellent massage at the spa - his third this holiday. Getting very into all this treatment stuff that goes on over here.

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Photos

The Matri Mandir
The spiritiual and physical centre of Auroville

Good old Austin Cambridge
Used as taxi in Pondicherry

Healthy pursuits at the Eco Lodge
Our main means of transport

Rice bowl of India
Travelling from town to town we saw the paddy fields being planted

Brickie's labourers
The modern method of carrying bricks in India

Comments

[George and Emma]

Hey Man.
Hey Man that lodge looks far out! Love the picture of you both on the bikes, dad you look more into it than mum though..ha! All our love. G an E.xxxx

[saaj]

Car is not Austin Cambridge
The car in that pic is an ambassador based on Morris Oxford III.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassador.

[SK]

Not AUSTIN CAMBRIDGE
That car is NOT an Austin Cambridge but a Hindustan Ambassador! based on the 1950s MORRIS OXFORD.