What a lovely sleep! We have a massive window in the hotel room that looks down on the street below. Even now at 6 am in the morning it is buzzing.
The shop opposite specialises in curd (yoghurt). Boxes and boxes on top of each other, all gone in less than an hour. A woman crouched over two fires, large metal pans filled with water, ready to steam idli. Lots of dogs, sleeping, running, fighting. And of course the beeping, the constant beeping.
I love the otherness of it, the assault to the senses. The strangeness that is captivating. It is challenging but in a good way. A way that keeps me going.
Today we are heading to Pudicherry. I am excited. I love the saying the name, something magical. We are going to be staying in the French Quarter, or White Town. A fusion of India and France.
Breakfast was so good today!!!
Hot carrot halva was delicious. With pistachios and pineapple. I could have eaten bowls and bowls of it but restrained because of the journey ahead.
Param as always was 15 minutes early. We were outside creating a video for Bea and Juni. I think Pete will really miss the hotel, he was mesmerised by the comings and goings.
We are given unlimited water in the car and it is also air conditioned. I can’t imagine driving here, Param keeps shaking his head and says ‘Indian Drivers!’. He is so good.
We saw a bad accident on the opposite road and he gesticulated to cover our eyes.
It was an easy journey, Param pointing things out all the way, temples lots of temples! Mango trees, coconut trees, jackfruit trees, cashew nut trees, tamarind trees. Fields of salt water being harvested. Lakes dedicated to cultivating ‘shrimps’. We passed rice fields, as well as sesame fields. This was odd as I never thought where sesame seeds come from, so it was definitely interesting.
After about an hour and half we stopped at a cafe off the road, Parman said it was traditional Tamil.
It was lovely and for a fleeting moment we got to know Vaneta and Bakleeta. They so funny. They wanted pictures of us. They gave us tasters of the halva and warm groundnuts and chickpeas.
Before going into the centre of Pondicherry we were going to stop off in Auroville. The usual route was closed off as there was the most bat shit crazy festival I have ever seen. The festival features men with hooks, it is called Thaipusam, Tamil Hindu celebration honouring Lord Murugan, the deity of war and virtue. Param said we were so lucky to see it all unfolded. From afar it looked like virtually naked men hanging from what looked like elaborate fairground rides.
However, the closer we got to then we could see that actually the young men had pierced their skin with hooks and skewers, apparently a sign of penance, and thanksgiving.
Some in the sky above, others below, ready to pull the dieties, with the other men above. There was no sign of blood.
Param says that there is no blood as basically they slowly stop eating over a 48 day period. Removing meat from their diet and alcohol. It all felt very machismo!
It was harder to get to Auroville as there were so many roadblocks along the way, but Param kept his cool.
Auroville is 12km from Pondicherry, apparentlya living experiment in human unity, sustainability, and spirituality. Founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother.
Driving into Auroville felt like entering another world. The roads are shaded by towering trees, the earth is orange and there is an air of calmness. The main draw of the place is the Matrimandi. A golden globe at the heart of Auroville which is a meditation space, not a tourist attraction. But as a visitor there is a viewing space within the gardens. A bus transports you to it.
It is covered in 1,415 shimmering discs, designed to reflect sunlight. These discs are made of stainless steel plates that are coated with a layer of gold leaf, sealed within specialized glass to ensure durability and prevent fading. I wish I wasn’t so cynical but the idea of people of all nations joining together and having a massive gold plated ball on top of a hill, to me seems like a vanity project. As predicted the place has more scandals than you can shake a stick at, so my suspicious nature was right.
Having said that they had great organic cafes and recycled gifts, as eye watering prices in the ’boutiques’.
Pete had a hibiscus and lemon ice cream. I had a rose petal jam one, that was a sludgy colour which belied its amazing flavours! I bought Bea a skirt in her favourite colour, blue, with elephants.
After this we headed to White Town Pondicherry. Param said it was because when it was under French rule only white people could live there. That made me feel so ashamed. But on the other hand it was a diversion from naming every tree we passed!
We felt Param would need a break from us, so suggested ge take us to the hotel and we would do our own thing.
He struggled to find it so suggested he drop us off, only for a police man to chew his ear off!
The hotel we are staying at is called La Cedille, like most places here it is steeped in French Colonial history. I always thought that when India won independence, it was the whole of India,but France kept this area for another 9 years, which truly beggars belief!
Hotel is amazing, French/Indian shabby chic!
We had a pause and recharged our batteries. Afterwards walking down the promenade. Pete said it made him think of Camus, L’Etranger. It is that kind of Algerian/French vibe.
Param had suggested the museum and the Ashram, we dutifully did both!
No allowed to take photos in either place, but interesting nevertheless.
In the temple we got blessed. Had white powder put on our foreheads by a holy person, who gave me a bunch of flowers. We then took them to another holy person who asked our names, took the flowers and prayed for us.
White ash, known as Vibhuti or Bhasma, is applied on the forehead during Hindu festivals to symbolize the ultimate impermanence of life, the burning away of ego, and devotion to Lord Shiva. It acts as a spiritual reminder that all material bodies eventually turn to ash, encouraging humility, purity, and detachment. We are now very holy!
Unfortunately we cant swim here due to dangerous conditions, a steep rocky shoreline, powerful undercurrents and a high risk, so I guess fair enough!
Had a heritage shower, saw a little lizard on our way out. Came to a trendy roof bar and yet again amazing food!
Random Acts of Travelling 