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the-south-asian.com October 2004 |
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October
2004 Heritage
Books Between
Heaven and Hell
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PONDICHERRY - India's French Connection by Mukesh Khosla
Pondicherry needs to be discovered. And the best way to discover it is by hiring a bicycle for Rs. 15 a day. Pedal past chic boutiques, beautiful flowering trees, restored buildings. Meditate in the Aurobindo Ashram or just soak in the flavours of this stunning town on the Coromandel coast where the French dreams of an Indian Empire began and ended. The French connection, the serene atmosphere brought in by the Aurobindo Ashram, and the beach combine to make Pondicherry a fascinating destination. The French made it their home for almost 300 years. They stayed on the Riveira, the ville blanche, or white town, as this part is known where neatly laid out streets are aligned at right angles and the skilfully planned township is distinguished by a two kilometre long esplanade which skirts the town. Raj Niwas, the magnificent Governor's mansion is the palace-like mansion where Dupleix once lived. And along its side is a garden with a sculpture of Lord Vishnu as the varaha avatar (boar incarnation) along with Goddess Lakshmi. The Government Park is resplendently laid out with flowerbeds and fountains, one of them dating back to the period of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The Botanical Garden, conceived in 1826, boasts a variety of rare and exotic plants from India and aboard. This is the town where French dreams of an Indian Empire began and ended. But there still remains an amazing French influence here simply because Pondicherry has the largest number of French citizens outside of France. In fact the vestiges of the French rule are all around. High- roofed villas, tree-lined boulevards and even a war memorial in memory of French soldiers who perished in the World War I, a statue of Joan of Arc and a monument called Place de Gaulle commemorating the French leader who never wanted to let go of this Indian territory. Pondicherians are as proud of their past as the French are of their Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe. The telltale signs are all around. Policemen still wear the traditional uniforms of the French gendarmes complete with a flat-topped hat called kepi. The well-heeled locals' favourite past-time is the French game of boules. In many schools French is still the medium of instruction. But it is not just the French connection that draws people to this architecturally stunning coastal town. There are over 350 churches, temples and mosques in Pondicherry making it a virtual Mecca for the devout of different religions. Universally Famous One of the most striking and now universally famous religious centre is the Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926. A poet-philosopher with a brilliant academic and political career, he set up this ashram in Pondicherry to practice and promote integral yoga. Here he wrote his best works, Life Divine, The Human Cycle, The Synthesis of Yoga, Savitri and the interpretations of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagwad Geeta. After his death, the Ashram came under the spiritual control of a French lady known as "Mother", who died in 1973. Visitors throng to pay homage to the samadhis (final resting place) inside the premises of this Ashram which attracts thousands of devotees - not only Indians, but also foreigners - because of the doctrines taught here are based on a fusion of modern science and yoga. Legend associates ancient Pondicherry with the great Hindu sage Agastya. Excavations in the Arikamedu area near Pondicherry reveal that a settlement existed here about 2000 years ago. In fact, Pondicherry has been variously referred to as `Poduke' and `Podukay' in the works of geographers and historians of the first few centuries of the present era. But Pondicherry as it is today had its genesis only with the arrival of the French in 1673. The town fell to the Dutch in 1693 but was restored to the French in 1699 by a treaty. In 1742 Joseph Francois Dupleix became the Governor of French- India. At about the same time, war broke out between France and England. The situation in Europe, as much as the ambitions of Dupleix, triggered off Anglo-French conflict in India. For the next seven decades, Pondicherry survived in a state of perpetual disturbance as control over the territory swung between the French and the British. Pondicherry finally returned to the French in 1814 and stayed with them till 1954 when it merged with the rest of Independent India. During those years, the contribution of French Indians to La Belle France and her colonies was considerable and even today many of their descendants work in France or in French dependencies overseas. But the times they are changing. Unlike the earlier generation that grew rich on generous French pensions, a new class is emerging which comprises software experts, doctors, engineers and technocrats who are thriving here. They are the ones you see filling up the promenades in the morning, jogging in their latest Nikes, headbands and walkmans. Or in the evenings in jeans and sweatshirts coming out of their luxury cars for a walk down the seaside or a leisurely cup of coffee in one of the many restaurants. Eateries Eateries in Pondicherry are an experience in themselves. Apart from French fare and dosa-idli joints, on offer are Chinese, Italian and even African delights. My favourite was Seagulls a waterfront cafe run by the state tourist department, which has an old world kind of bar overlooking the sea. Pondicherry needs to be discovered. And the best way to discover it is by hiring a bicycle for Rs. 15 a day. Peddle past chic boutiques, beautiful flowering trees, nicely restored buildings and eucalyptus planted everywhere giving off the rich scent of their oils. When you cycle past shops and more shops, don't forget to buy a doll. For the uninitiated the dolls of Pondicherry are the pride of this town. The terracotta, papier mache and plaster of paris dolls popularly known as Puducheri Bommai are available all over. There is prosperity all around even as markets and shops glitter with the latest gizmos and restaurants and hotels are never short of customers. Tourists can choose from swank luxury hotels where vintage French wine is served with gourmet French food. Or settle for places like the International Guest House where the food is strictly vegetarian, drinking, smoking and even loud talking are banned. It is contrasts like these that make Pondicherry unique, something quite different from the rest of India. The French connection, the serene atmosphere influenced by the Aurobindo Ashram and the beach combine to make Pondicherry a fascinating destination. *****
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