Our trip to Pondicherry (fondly called Pondy by many) was a surprise gift for our wedding anniversary by our dear ones.
At the airport, waiting to catch the flight to Chennai, we saw many ladies in gorgeous sarees and jewels, obviously dressed to kill to reach some function hall from the Chennai airport itself. I wondered if the lady standing alone, bejeweled, flowers in her hair, and all the trappings of a newly wed, was the bride. How cruel to leave a lady (in all her finery) to bear the stares of all and sundry.
Chennai was, as expected, humid. We had to wait long for a taxi - till the driver with all his papers intact (we would be out of Tamil Nadu) was assigned to us. Dressed in white, he turned out to be a colourful personality. When we asked him how many hours it would take to reach Pondy, he nonchalantly said 'If we go normal it'll be 3 hours otherwise 4 - 4.5 hours'. So his normal was our abnormal - rash and speedy! We said 'Normal', and relieved, he showed his motoring skills in all their splendour. He used both lanes without any partiality weaving in and out with elan, overtaking every vehicle in his path. But yes, we were in Pondy in 3 hours.
Our hotel was a majestic sight - a colonial building converted for tourists. It boasted a typical French (quarter) architecture. A walk, later in the evening, through the streets of the French quarter was interesting. we saw old colonial houses with their regulation balconies and arched gates probably leading to beautiful gardens. We were told there were still a large number of French families residing there. Their houses are painted yellow to distinguish them from Ashram houses which were grey. The hotel was a pebble's throw from the sea, so a walk along the beach was almost a 'given'. Before 6PM the breeze can be heavy and hot. Later, walking on the wide promenade can be a pleasure. People of all ages - babies to grandpas - seemed to enjoy the freedom of walking without traffic woes (no traffic is allowed along the beach after 6PM) and it was as if Sunday was an 'enjoy yourself' day for the Pondians.
The much anticipated visit to Auroville was 'dampened' by the heat and the humidity. Our timing was hopelessly awry because the afternoon sun beat on us mercilessly. Going to 'Matru Mandir' (walking more than a kilometer in torturous weather conditions) was a test of strength, will power and stamina. We covered our heads with what little protection we had but we could actually feel the sweat travelling down our hair and down our spines. We were completely drenched in sweat by the time we reached the destined place.
Kuppu who was actually reluctant to make the trek at first was the one who avidly went up to the Mandir. We couldn't go inside as we were not given a pass, so we stared at the dome from the outside. Kuppu collected quite a bit of information about the Mandir. We joked that Kuppu would get distinction ('1st in 1st' as our heroes in movies do) if there were a Matru Mandir exam while we, enjoying the little breeze that came our way would only get pass marks. We were all truly 'done in' by this time, but fortunately could get back to the starting point in a bus. We could empathize with a girl who was just coming as we were leaving. We heard her desperate cries 'Tissue, anyone? Water, anyone?'.
The Ganesha temple we visited was something unique and amazing. The temple walls had Ganesha replicas from all over the world - by name. The ceilings were colourfully painted with scenes from Ganesha's life. There was one never-before-seen sculpture of brotherly bonding - Ganesha and Karthikeyan, together, on the peacock. The sculptures all over the temple and the impassioned crowds made it an out of this world experience.
We went to a chocolate shop, with an exotic name Zuka, which had butterflies stuck all over the ceiling. We were told they were all made of chocolate, we had never seen anything like this before.
The Aurobindo Ashram demands absolute silence from visitors. As we made our way to the Samadhi we saw breathtakingly colourful flowers in pots to our left and right. Sadly, cameras were not allowed. Men and women were meditating in one part of the Ashram, and we also stood in silence for one brief moment. The Samadhi was also covered with flowers which were lovingly and constantly being watered and kept fresh. On our way out, when I enquired at the Ashram library if there were pictures of the flowers they lady in charge looked disgustedly at me as if I had committed a sacrilege - 'We only have pictures of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother' she said.
We enjoyed the hotel food, local pizza (the spinach touch was good) and regular thalis at the crowded eateries - all without facing any gastric problems!
June 6th has come and gone but the memories are here to stay.
