Pondicherry – What the French Left Behind!

by Sarina Menezes

I usually would not embark on a holiday in India in July but a persistent nudge from a dear friend and the temptation to explore the less trodden led me to hop on a flight to Chennai and head to Pondicherry, the French nook in Southern India followed by Yercaud, the summer get away for the British in the Shevaroy Hills of Tamil Nadu.

Never to miss an opportunity to do more, I could not resist stopping by at Mahabalipuram, 60 kms from Chennai. The UNESCO World Heritage site lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The beautiful ancient monuments and Hindu temples are a collection from the 7th and 8th century built during the Pallava dynasty.

A quick and sumptuous banana leaf Tamil lunch at Guru’s of fish, payasam, vegetables, rice & rasam and we were zipping down the picturesque roads to reach Pondicherry just in time for a Beach Walk at the Club Mahindra Puducherry as Pondicherry is officially known as. Warmly greeted with a cool drink by the most hospitable team made up of the General Manager, Chef, F&B Manager, we were personally escorted to our delightful room nestled amongst 29 acres of green landscaped expanse. That evening after a nice long stroll we decided to retire for a good night’s sleep before we set out to explore Pondicherry the next day.

After a hearty American breakfast and a morning walk on the beach, we decided to first visit Auroville, 15 kms from Pondicherry. Auroville was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as \\\”the Mother\\\”) and designed by architect Roger Anger. Auroville is a universal township in the making for a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity – in diversity. On 28th February 1968 some 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the centre of the future township for an inauguration ceremony attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the states of India. And that’s when the construction of the Matri Mandir began.

We didn’t get the opportunity to visit inside the Mandir but the architecture is splendid with beautiful lush gardens surrounding the monument. Auroville is self-sufficient, has high economic activity which includes a restaurant, bakery, clothes boutiques of Indo French designs, homemade ice creams, candles, fragrances and essential oils.

Having spent half a day in this little world of its own, it was now time to head to the French colony right in the heart of Pondicherry.

Pondicherry is a quaint little town that was inhabited by the French in the 16th century. The stark contrast is that one part of Pondicherry looks exactly like any other small town in India – chaos, traffic, populated with no sense of town planning. Whilst the French Colony or White Town in the heart of the town still looks the way the French had left it years ago. Serene, impeccable, pristine and picturesque – the by lanes, road names, people cycling around, the French cafes and bakeries interspersed with the architecture and vibrant colors cannot be forgotten for the influence the French had over it.

As the name suggests it was a secluded section in Pondicherry which was exclusively reserved for the white French people who had settled here and called it home after 1674 when they acquired it and used it as a trading post.

We decided to first visit the French Institute of Pondicherry, the beautiful French architecture and the promenade facing building took us back to the 16th century when research scholars spent hours working at this institute. The Aurobindo Ashram which is a Samadhi was our next stop followed by the French Police museum and finally a French cuisine lunch at Café Coromandel of Coconut chicken skewers, Pommes Dauphinoise and Ginger and Tamarind glazed chicken.

We could not have ended this beautiful day out without a leisurely walk around town and the sea side promenade of the Bay of Bengal.

And to make it even special, when we returned to Club Mahindra Puducherry, a wonderful surprise awaited, unknown to us. The team of Chef Sunder, Chef Nandhu, Capt Gopu and Mr. Manoj the General Manager had cooked up a storm to surprise us with a private dining experience at their Sea side restaurant, Finzz exclusively for us! The weather was beautiful and under the starlit sky and the salty sea breeze we sat down to a Seafood Fiesta. On the menu was the Basa in English Mustard, Red Snapper 65, Prawns Charmule (in Coriander Solantro and Chilly), Squid in Pesto, Surmai in barbecue marinade and the Fish Para Pondicherry Curry with rice.

That night as we walked back to our room, we couldn’t stop appreciating what a wonderful day we were made to experience. And if it’s topped with genuine hospitality like the folks at Club Mahindra, it makes it all the more memorable.

At 6 am the next morning we were on the beach watching the sunrise, we were on the East coast remember? I was lucky to find a starfish for the first time, considering my favorite past time on beaches is to collect shells and the unique treasures the sea throws back at you. We decided to spend this last day in Puducherry relaxing at the Club Mahindra resort swimming to our heart’s delight, followed by Water Zorbing, Fish Spa for the feet and a luxurious Spa treatment at their Swastaa Spa. Not to forget a Pottery class where we got our hands dirty like little school girls – definitely therapeutic! A good lunch and an afternoon nap did us perfect before we headed to their Handicraft Shop and I picked up a beautiful pink Banana fibre and silk woven saree. Yes, you heard right – a saree made of Banana leaf fibre!

If you are a more active person than I am, there are lots of things to do at the resort like Quad biking, Land Zorbing, Archery, Volleyball, Dance classes and horse riding – something for everyone to do.

And finally, it was the morning of Day 4 and time to bid Pondicherry adieu! After some frantic packing and a large breakfast; we were all so excited to embark upon the second half of our holiday to the Shevaroy hills and into the lap of a hill station called Yercaud!

Sarina Menezes is a freelance writer based in Mumbai.