Pondicherry

Puducherry ( Firmly known as Pondicherry)…

Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambience.

The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Puducherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serinity Beach.  Sri Aurobindo Ashram located on rue de la Marine (Gingee Salai) , is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an “experimental” township located 8 km North-West of Puducherry. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities^.

There are a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century churches in Puducherry as well as a number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade beach such as the Children’s Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governers Palace, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Puducherry Museum, and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.

Puducherry Entrance

Puducherry Entrance

Gorimedu Chekpost (Pondichery Entrance)

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Today, the ashram is a large institution in the downtown area of Pondicherry. It provides many charitable benefits to the area, including free medical facilities and a publishing house. It also includes the School for Perfect Eyesight, a centre promoting the use of the controversial Bates method that claims to improve and restore vision without the use of glasses.

The ashram’s effects spring up across the town: local businesses include the “Sri Aurobindo Autocare Services,” “Cottage Industries” and “Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper.” among others. Most famously, the alternative community Auroville (pop. 1800) sits outside the town…

On the first day morning we went to ashram for darshan. It was a nice experience. Atmosphere was calm and quite. I enjoyed being there.

Few Photos taken by me….

Aurobindo Samadhi In Side The Ashram

Ashram Entrance

Promenade Beach

After a nice and holy food from ashran canteen we decided to go to near by beach, this beach is called as Promenade Beach. You can find all important govt establishment on this beach like Chief Secretariat, Pondichery Municipality, Governor House, Parliament Etc. you can find few other structure as well.. like War Memorial, A French War memorial, Gandhi Statue, Old Light House and beautiful hotels… Main thing I did not like about this beach is : Not allowed to go to water.

Here are few photos taken by me…

War Memorial

War Memorial

A Sign Board.. With a beatiful message...

Chief Secretariat : Puducherry

Beach...

People Enjoying The Evening time @ Beach

Old Light House

Mahatma Gandhi Statue

Puducherry Municipality

French War Memorial

Le Cafe : A Nice Coffee Shop Near Beach

This Concludes Day One…

On Day 2 after a nice breakfast, We took a bike on Rent. One nice thing about the pondichery is that you get bike very easily with good price 150/day.  We found out that there are two more beaches One is called Island Beach (Paradise Beach) And another one is Aurovile Beach. And then we fixed the days plan.. Morning Island Beach and in the evening Aurovile Beach…

Island Beach (Paradise Beach)

Island beach is located nearly 8 km from Ashram. It is a nice location. And most importantly the way through which you go to this place through back waters.. Puduchery tourism provides you Boats to go there they changes 75 rs/person .. Its around 3 to 4 Km ride in Boat in Back Waters.. Full of Coconut trees.. Belive me its a nice place..

Here are few Photos…

Puducherry Tourism Botes

Paradise Beach (Island Beach)

A speed boat near the beach...

Beach In Island Beach

The Auroville Beach

In the evening we went to Aurovile beach.. this is on the way to Aurovile. Its 8 Km on the ECR Road. This is called as  Foreigner beach. You can find most of the time Foreigner enjoying the sun bath..

Here are few photos…

Yeh Neela Asama..

Enjoying Evening Time

Bali Ghara.. A boy trying to create house in sand...

People playing in water

Beach View

Foreigner Playing In Water

Few Foreigner Are Taking Sun Bath @ Beach

:) Playing In Water

A Fisher Man.. Just Returned From Fishing

Auroville

We went to Aurovile on the third day of our visit.. I found the History of the Auroville from Wiki Page.. its interesting…

Auroville was founded as a project of Sri Aurobindo Society on Wednesday 28 February, 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, “The Mother”. She was an equal spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who believed that “man is a transitional being”. The Mother expected that this experimental “universal township” would contribute significantly in the “progress of humanity towards its splendid future by bringing together people of goodwill and aspiration for a better world.” The Mother also believed that such a universal township will contribute decisively to the Indian renaissance (Ref. Mother’s Agenda, Vol. 9, dt.3.02.68). The Government of India endorsed the township, and in 1966, UNESCO also endorsed it inviting the member-states to participate in the development of Auroville. UNESCO re-endorsed Auroville four times more in the course of the last 40 years^..

In the inauguration ceremony attended by delegates of 124 nations on 28 February 1968, The Mother gave Auroville its 4-point Charter setting forth her vision of Integral living:

1. Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
2. Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
3. Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
4. Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

The Mother repeatedly warned against the danger of Auroville falling under the control of Government of India, which eventually did happen a few years after her death, following a long conflict between Aurovilians and the Sri Aurobindo Society.

Few Photos Of Auroville…

On the way to Auroville

Auroville Auditorium

Visitor Center @ Auroville

Savitri : The Place Named After Sri Aurobindo's Book

Sri Aurobindo's Statue In Savitri Bhavan

Savitri Bhavan

Inside Savitri Bhavan

In Side Savitri Bhavan

Solar Kitchen, Which can cook food for 1000 with out using any fuel..

Nandanam School Inside Auroville

The Matrimandir

The Matrimandir took 37 years to build, from the laying of the foundation stone at sunrise on 21st February 1971 – the Mother’s 93rd birthday – to completion in May 2008. It is in the form of a huge sphere surrounded by twelve pedestals. The central dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance. Inside this central dome is a meditation hall known as the inner chamber – this contains the largest optically-perfect glass globe in the world. The Matrimandir, and its surrounding gardens in the central Peace Area, is fully open to the public by appointment. You can take the appointment by calling +91-4132622268. Be on time for meditation .

Few Photos Of  The Matrimandir..

The Matrimandir...

The Matrimandir...

Here we concluded our Pondicherry Visit… I would advice all the people to go once to this place. I went with a three day program.. But A 2 day program is enough to explore Puducherry.

Sign Off From Puducherry…

Gupteswar Satapathy (Raja)

&

Debasmita Satapathy (Lisha)

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