Pondicherry – The City with a Split Personality

Bathed by the Bay of Bengal, infused with colors and cleanliness, Pondy is rather an affectionate nickname coined for the ecumenical Union Territory of Puducherry. The trip to Pondicherry was a much cherished one. While a few acquaintances questioned our plan to spend 4 whole days in Pondicherry as there are not enough touristy things to do around, we kind of stuck to it, as the plan was not to hop around but to just sit back and soak in. As clichéd as it may sound, we wanted that perfect ‘Eat, pray, love’ undertone to this vacation on our 4th marriage anniversary and boy, was it one!

We ate our hearts out at the countless colonial eateries in the French quarter, attended meditation sessions at the Auroville, and loved every bit of those moments when we sat on the boulders by the sea as the sun set – all of it was surreal. Pondy surprises in ways more than one can imagine.

One can well appreciate the French-Tamil line of cleavage once you go around a little on those pastel-toned scooties. The town is divided into two sections: the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or ‘White town’) and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or ‘Black Town). The plan of the city of Puducherry is based on the old French grid pattern and features neat perpendicular streets. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically in Colonial style, and many streets still retain French names. They are referred to as Rues and Boulevards, and have a hearty dash of quaintness, sophistication and quirk to it. The Indian quarter on the other hand, is more rustic, consisting of houses with broad verandas, big wooden pillars, dotted with filter coffee joints and of course, shops selling steel utensils!

The French Riviera of the East, Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality that will just make one fall in love with it.

So here’s us sharing some snapshots of our trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS: Stay tuned for more of EATING OUT IN PONDY
&  AUROVILLE

(Devlina, in her own words, is “Just another Bengali woman proud of her Rabindrasangeet and Rosogolla roots ….. a psychiatry resident, still picking up the shells on the Freudian shore !”

Click for her other articles on Blong…Shong)