One of the things that I appreciate very much in retrospect about Pondicherry is that they let animals be. Nature is mostly left untouched and allowed to take its course in the protected areas of Auroville. It's nice to go to a place in India where humans are not busy hating, killing other creatures only to make more space for themselves. I say this because I have a little pup here in a city that doesn't have any public places where she can go walking without strangers complaining.
The sea has long inspired painters, poets and writers and I was reminded of the reason why, as I stood on the promenade watching the waves crash into the rocks. The sea can't be conquered or exploited to extinction like everything else.
We weren't allowed to take any pictures at Sri Aurobindo's ashram. The area around has lots of large French buildings, well laid out and wide, clean streets. At Bureau central which is the first stop for visitors looking to visit the ashram, we procured a map and useful directions from a very polite staff.
Now, I come to the part which I was most interested in during this visit. Sri Aurobindo played a major role in the early days of the freedom struggle when the idea of independence had not deeply resonated with the general, poor populace of India. He was one of the most well-known and important leaders of the time, working hard to establish resistance groups in India until he withdrew completely from the struggle in 1910 after a hard stint in jail, to go on to establish his ashram for meditation and spiritual awakening in Pondicherry. The part of the ashram that I visited houses the samadhi or graves of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The lady who is revered and remembered as the Mother was a French woman who became a follower and companion to Sri Aurobindo and adopted this country as her own. She was also the visionary behind the idea of Auroville along with the architect, Roger Anger. That according to me was her best work. We left the ashram with a collection of poetry by Sri Aurobindo, Savitri. I went to the ashram more in search of stories and its rich history rather than seeking spiritual solace in their brand of meditation. That is not to say, that I disapprove of the teachings and path followed by the holy figures. I don't have an opinion on it as I did not try it. Maybe someday, I'll write a post about all the different kinds of meditation I've tried in India and my opinion on the various episodes.
Roaming around in the French quarters and at the promenade took us to the best views of the sea, the French architecture and even a war memorial, but, our steps faltered at the Hidesign hotel on the Promenade which has a fantastic view of the sea from their premises. I also tried out and liked the little cafes and bakeries that we found scattered on our walking route.
Let's pretend there isn't an auto obstructing the view in the picture, okay?
My last day was spent at Paradise beach, a long way away from our guest house in Auroville. The ride in our over laden, security disaster of a boat was fun and gave us the opportunity to take these:
I am not very inclined to recommend Paradise beach, it closes early by 5:00 PM (as do most beaches in Pondi) and seems to be fun only if you're staying at the Paradise beach resorts. If you're a day visitor to the beach, the larger part of it is cordoned off with red flags and guards who don't allow you beyond a point. There are two shacks to order food from that don't look very appealing. Also, the boat sailors don't seem to follow any safety regulations in carrying people across to the little island where the beach is situated. They are always over laden and have significantly lesser flotation suits than the number of people they carry. Go to watch only the strong sea waves, if you're not paranoid about accidental drowning.
During the time that we stayed at Auroville, they were hosting a short film festival that seemed really good apart from lots of workshops for woodwork, wax work and other handicrafts made of locally produced raw material. A special mention about the incense manufacturing at Auroville, I brought back a lovely earthy fragrance that I haven't found anywhere else before called, Mattipal. I had a grand time cycling and shopping at Auroville on my last day. I loved these little touches.
This was a really tiring but refreshing and satisfying vacation. Everybody that we talked to was warm and polite in conversation. The hot weather in the day would suddenly turn stormy in the evenings and I would sit outside looking at the forests in the rain, watching little streams of water run down the sides of trees. It was very relaxing.
I came back to Bangalore with aching muscles, puffy eyes and yet a satisfied mind. I hope to see more of India in the next few months. This experience has made me want more and more travel, given me lots of lovely memories and food for thought. I wish everybody reading a similar vacation!
