Soulful Pondicherry

The world renowned golden dome at Auroville stands out in the landscape

Cruising down the East Coast road from Chennai to Pondicherry is interesting. Rows of colourful pitchers lined up for the evening water supply; kitschy pictures of Jayalalitha and Lenin on every third wall and SUVs cheek by jowl with bullock carts.

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When leather majors Hidesign invited us for a fashion show at the former French colony, the first image that came to mind was Auroville. But there’s much more to the land of powder beaches, colourful cathedrals and quaint chalets. Bicycles are everywhere: About 30 at the first traffic signal. 22 of these have women riding them. A good means of moving around is on a bike, our cabbie says. Or rent a moped for Rs 500.

We were staying at Le Dupleix, in the heart of the old French quarter. Built in the 18th century as the residence of the mayor of Pondicherry, the hotel combines European architecture with good old Indian hospitality. The walls are Chettinad plaster, the gate massive and an old, resplendent neem tree stands in the middle of the courtyard. “We’ve spent Rs 2.5 crore combining traditional aesthetics with modern facilities,” says Dilip Kapur, who owns Le Dupleix along with Dimitri Klein.

Walk around to discover architectural marvels like the Notre Dame des Anges cathedral. Walk a kilometre to reach the Aurobindo ashram where faithfuls come in at eight a.m. and meditate before commuting to work. Then there’s Auroville whose golden sanctum sanctorum is out of bounds to the public owing to restoration. Evolved souls like Aurobindo devotees may not mind such glitches but it is a disappointing for the average tourist. Just wonder if Bipasha Basu prayed here during the shooting of Jism. And if Pondicherry native and The Village director Manoj Night Shyamalan would ever see the breathtaking sunrise at his hometown.