EXile: Pondicherry in southern India is one of the most delightful and calming places where you can go at this time. This tiny city is an intriguing mix of east meets west culture, both converging at the Ashram and Auroville communities. You can’t go anywhere here without seeing or hearing the ‘auro’ and ‘ashram’ words! It was once the headquarters of the French East India Company for some 200 odd years, and still retains the charm and influence of French culture. Today it is synonymous with the Aurobindo Ashram (Ranga Pillai Street), which was started by the Bengali revolutionary Sri Aurobindo and his French disciple known as the Mother. It’s a wonderful, peaceful place for meditation and reflection. At their bookshop, pick up The Complete Sonnets of Aurobindo and other such works to read away quietly in the evenings by the ocean.
EXplore: Auroville is the global village brought into reality by the Mother, and is located a short drive away, amid woods and well laid out gardens. It is the ultimate example of environmental legacy and design as it was built on land which was semi-arid with no trees or water. This is where the Mother dreamed up a place where people from all over the world could live together in peace and harmony. Visit the Matri Mandir, built in the shape of the globe; it’s architecturally very beautiful and has a meditation hall right at the top which is lit only by sunrays seeping through a little skylight. There are charming boutiques and restaurants scattered throughout. (Email: bureaucentral@auroville.org.in). In the main town itself, walk through the Tamil and French quarters for a glimpse into 17th century heritage. Take day trips to Tranquebar and Poompuhar, an hour or so drive away, where you can view ancient forts and palaces built by Dutch conquerors in the 16th century and the 9th century Chola kings.
EXpress: Learn about ancient maritime trade at the Pondicherry Museum which houses bartered items found at the before-Christ site of Arikamedu, located close by. Displays include fragments of Greek and Roman jars, glass and precious stone jewelry. The Bharathiar Museum is in memory of South India’s best loved poet, patriot, and women’s right activist, Subramani Bharathi, who settled here when on run from the British. The museum is at the home he lived in. The mansion of Ananda Ranga Pillai, (who maintained a series of diaries about the French occupation, and is considered the Samuel Pepys of India), was built in 1738, and among the oldest buildings here. The Eglise de Notre Dame is a fine French church.
EXorcise: Ten day yoga retreats are organized at the Auroville Center for Yoga. In January of every year an International Yoga Festival is held with seminars and activities on different types of yoga. The International Center for Yoga Education and Research offers courses according to individual time and schedules with lectures and demos. You can even have a new career and become a global yoga instructor, by taking their six month course. (91-413-622 902). If you prefer plain quiet, then head out to the Chunambar Backwater Resort, where you can do some camping on the lagoon or stay overnight in their tree top houses. (91-413-356 816).
