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AsiaIS >India > Tamil Nadu > Pondicherry > Introduction
P O N D I C H E R R Y |
| Pondicherry
is distinctly divided into two. One side of the local canal ‘Pondicherry’ still
retains much of its French flavour. This part of the sometime capital of French India is
the setting for Aurobindo Ashram, the roads are called Rue and the local Bazaar is on St.
Laurent Street. It is one of the last sites of a certain European genteelness that most of
India has lost. On the other side of the canal, you’ll find ‘Puducherry’, a
small time South Indian town where the flavours aren’t basil and thyme but curry
leaves and roasting rai seeds. |
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| When
the French handed over this enclave to India in 1954, the Union Government took over the
responsibility of its administration and till date the territory of Pondicherry, which
consists Mahe, Karaikal, Yanam and Pondicherry, is a Union Territory. Among other things,
that somehow translates into cheap beer! Travellers head here for that, and of course,
more. Auroville – an organisation that experiments with international community
living was set up just outside the city by The Mother, a disciple of Shree Aurobindo. Its
quiet beaches are an attraction too, as is JIPMER, one of the best medical colleges in the
country. The facilities are state of the art, the services are very reliable and there are
beautiful murals on the walls. ‘Pondicheri’,
‘Puducherry’, ‘Pondicherry’, or plain “Pondi”, this neat
town where the last traces of French perfume and baking croissants waft in the breeze, is
witnessing the passing of an era. Catch it now, before that special flavour fades
completely. |
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