Pondicherry

l To Pondicherry l Pondicherry l

Dec 23rd: Sunday: Sun-rise:
A shrill noise of alarm on my mobile woke me up, at 5:30AM. When I looked around, all were sleeping as though nothing can break it forever. All these days I was of the habit of waking up that early and go on a jog for sometime. And how could I break it today? I just freshened up and went out.

I dint tell you that the youth hostel is located at a perfect location on the beach. This beach is not so clean, nor broad, but full of fishermen. In fact, the whole colony around the hostel is full of them. As I walked out, I could see them running to sea to fetch fishes. I entered, and had a brief conversation with a few of them, who enthusiastically explained from where in sea they get fresh fishes, and what they do with it later. I asked them to take me along to fish, but they laughed loud at the idea :’(.

This conversation had to be in Tamil as they didn’t know any other language, neither did I know Tamil. But I have developed such a knack that I can manage with any language, with my broken Tamil, I could definitely manage.

Rode back to the rock beach to witness the Sunrise. The east coast is famous for its marvelous sunrise. I went there, in order to jog over the same rock-beach avenue, named as Goubert Avenue. The early morning hour was perfect for a visit here since the atmosphere was sincere, the ecstatic. The sunrise watchers were there allover. After running thru the stretch once, walked it out a second time. And then it was time for the Sunrise. I chose a rock on this rock-beach to witness this spectacle.

@image : Your's truly riding on the Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry's most fancied place!

However, the Sunday morning, was in deed a Sun-day morning. I was disappointed with Sun, however, was thankful that I could at least got to witness the change in colours in the sky and over the sea.

When I came back, people in my room were still up on the bed. I took bath first and woke them up, lest the bathrooms would become busy. It was a lazy morning for them, and a blessing one for me.

Once everyone was ready, we started the planning the itinerary for the day. Pondicherry had cast a spell on us, and we didn’t want to return so soon!! So, unanimously decided to extend our stay for a day and start early next day to Bangalore. Then we hatched plans to visit Auroville, and Arobnindo ashram.

After a quick breakfast, we started straight to Auroville, a conceptual town about 9KMs from Pondicherry town. Auroville is a town conceptualised around the fact of Universal Brother-hood. Everyone in this town is equal, no sorrow, no bonding for a country, not bounded by any borders, rules, no tears, no fears rule over. The conceptual town is still under construction, and the Matri mandir, the soul of this town, is standing as a resonance of this idea.

@image : Matri Mandir, out of all boundaries, scapes and scopes.

Matri mandir is a globe shaped structure that is constructed with a huge auditorium space, with the inner surface of it, lighted by a divine crystal that is the whole of this temple. It is exactly at the centre of this town, and visualizes the town entering into being. The auditorium where one can view it, has a lotus structure made up of sand from 108 countries from across the globe. This signifies the idea upon which the town is being conceived. A wonderful structure, if not the idea, this temple treated us with its magnanimity.

@image : Three nomads infront of the Matri Mandir

We rode so fast that we missed all the boards leading to this village, and ended up roaming around the whole place making our journey some 20Kms extra. Nonetheless, we were treated with a wonderful ride on the interior roads of this unknown land.

We came back towards the main road where exists Auroville beach, the lesser troublesome, and huge beach that is clean with playable waters. We entered the water, enjoying the crazy waves, and of course the crowd as well. Foreigners were more in number, and they were enjoying as well.

One crib about the place, the administration here restricts Indians from entering a part of the beach that is reserved for foreigners alone. Even if we assume, there are many foreigners visiting here, this is an atrocious move to have restricted Indians from enjoying a part of their own land! This is a condemnable attitude here.

@image : A bike-eye's view of Goubert Avenue, a paradise in Pondicherry!

Now too we had passed the lunchtime as we entered the city. It was 4PM or so, had Appams we all (our Shyavige), and it was really a good treat. Visited the Siddhi Vinayagar temple and Arobindashram, Sri Arobindo Samadhi, by when it was already around 7PM. We walked across the Nehru Street, visited a huge church on the way, where a Sunday evening mass was being witnessed by a number of people. Did some window shopping, and past the very crowded lanes of these bazaars, and again walked on the brilliant Mahatma Gandhi Avenue, on the Rock beach, this time enjoying the different monuments of French architecture, trying to read all the French names, Stories written about the statues that were erect…and so on. The roar of the sea was too much tonight since it was a full-moon night. We enjoyed this pleasurable event that was a bonus since it was not a planned one.

In all, it was a meaningful evening, as much we walk, as much we wanted to walk. There was no end to the road, and we wanted no end to it either.

Had dinner at a different hotel and went back to sleep with no mood for it.

Meter read 460 KMS of total ride.

Dec 24th: Monday: 10am:

We got ready, and checked out of the hostel. Wished them all a happy New Year in advance, and bid adieu. Soon after that, flew towards Bangalore on the same route, as was our onward journey. We reached the city by around 7 in the evening, with brief halts, once at Thiruvannamalai and next at Krishnagiri Vasavi for an evening snack. We also stopped near Chenchi to have a far-view of the Chenchi fort over a small hillock.

Three days spent in the company of sea and bike, refreshed us to face a bright new year that was shortly listed to visit us.

Meter read 830 KMS of total ride.

Coming next : A ride to the West Coast!!