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The French connection is hard to miss in the sights and sounds of Puducherry, for long known as Pondicherry. Mukesh Khosla says the best way to discover this town is on a cycle: pedal past chic boutiques and beautiful flowering trees. Or, meditate in the Aurobindo Ashram and soak in the air of this coastal town The French dreams of an Indian Empire began and ended here. But there still remains an amazing amount of French influence simply because Puducherry has the largest number of French citizens outside France.
The vestiges of French rule are all around. High-roofed villas, tree-lined boulevards, a war memorial in memory of French soldiers who perished in World War I, a statue of Joan of Arc, a statue of Dupleix and Place de Gaulle monument commemorating the French leader who never wanted to let go of Puducherry. Puducherrians are as proud of their past as the French are of their Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomph. The telltale signs are all around. Policemen still wear the traditional uniforms of the French gendarmes complete with a flat-topped hat called kepi. The favourite past-time of well-heeled locals is the French game of boules. In many schools, French is still the medium of instruction. But it is not just the French connection that draws people to this stunning coastal town. There are over 350 churches, temples and mosques in Puducherry, making it a virtual Mecca for the devout. One of the famous religious centres is the Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot the Auroville. It was founded in 1926 by the poet-philosopher Sri Aurobindo to practice and promote yoga. Spiritual retreat
Here Sri Aurobindo wrote his best works Life Divine, The Human Cycle, The Synthesis of Yoga, Savitri and interpretations of the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavadgita. After his death, the Ashram came under spiritual control of a French lady simply known as Mother. Visitors come in thousands to pay homage at the samadhis of Sri Aurobindo and Mother on the premises of the Ashram, which attracts both Indians and foreigners. But Puducherry as it is today had its genesis only with the arrival of the French in 1673. The town fell to the Dutch in 1693 but was restored to the French in 1699 by a treaty. In the 18th century the control of Puducherry swung between French and British. It finally returned to the French in 1814 and stayed with them till 1954. During those years, the contribution of French Indians to La Belle France and her colonies was considerable and even today many of their descendants work in France or in French dependencies overseas. But unlike the earlier
generation which grew rich on generous French pensions, a new class is
emerging and thriving here. They comprise software experts, doctors,
engineers and technocrats.
Seaside promenades These new-age residents fill up seaside promenades jogging in their tracksuits. Or, in the evenings they can be seen in jeans and sweatshirts walking down the seaside or sipping a leisurely cup of coffee in one of the restaurants. Puducherry needs to be discovered. And the best way to discover it is by hiring a bicycle for Rs 15 a day. Peddle past chic boutiques; beautiful flowering trees, restored buildings and eucalyptus planted everywhere giving off a rich aroma. When you cycle past shops and more shops, don't forget to buy a doll. For the uninitiated, the dolls are the pride of this town. The terracotta, papier-mache and plaster of Paris dolls popularly known as puducheri bommai are available all over. There is prosperity all around even as markets and shops glitter with the latest gizmos, and restaurants are never short of customers. Tourists can choose from swank luxury hotels where vintage French wine is served with gourmet French food. Or settle for places like the International Guest House, where the food is strictly vegetarian, and drinking, smoking and even loud talking are banned. It is contrasts like
these that make Puducherry unique, something quite different from the
rest of India. The French connection, and the serene atmosphere lent
by the Aurobindo Ashram and the beach make it a fascinating
destination. — NF
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