When I crossed the central canal of this tiny coastal town of Tamil Nadu, I was struck with a mild culture shock that compeled me to pinch myself to make sure if what I saw was for real. I had heard about this town also known as the French Rivera of the East but experienced it when I explored the French/White Colony on foot. As we were not left with much time after four days spent in Auroville (Read An Auroville Experience), we decided to take a tour of a city that later came across as a pleasant mix of East and West.
A french colony until 1954, this part of the otherwise very Indian city has boulevards lined with Mediterranean style buildings oozing out the stories of the antiquities. The churches, statues and the modern town planning have been carefully conserved along with French language that is widely understood by the people of Pondicherry.
"A french colony until 1954, this part of the otherwise very Indian city has boulevards lined with Mediterranean style buildings oozing out the stories of the antiquities."
As we were leisurely loitering on the polished streets of India's very own Europe, we were drawn by the aroma of fresh bread baked in the bakeries serving wide varieties of baked delicacies. In contrast to the Tamil quarters, this part of the town consists of fancy restaurants serving streak and fine wine. After maneuvering in the streets for hours, the beach Road of Pondicherry emerged. It was flooded with people: the locals and the tourists alike. The roadside makeshift stalls, the girl walking across the tight rope, the standard elbow pushes to carve a way out of the crowd woke us up from a dream.
As time drew the evening to a close, we reluctantly wrapped the fond memories of the days spent in Tamil Nadu and boarded the bus to Bangalore.
 |
| The colonial Architecture |
 |
| The colonial Architecture |
 |
| The colonial Architecture |