सांस्कृतिक भारत : पुद्दूचेरी (पाँडेचेरी)
पुद्दूचेरीत पूर्वाश्रमीची फ्रेंच वसाहत होती. दक्षिण भारतातील केंद्र शासित प्रदेश. पुद्दूचेरी, करईकल, माहे आणि यानम या फ्रेंच वसाहती विखुरलेल्या आहेत. पुद्दूचेरी ही फ्रेंचांची भारतातील राजधानी व मुख्यालय समजले जात होते. जवळपास 138 वर्षे येथे फेंचांचे राज्य होते. पुद्दूचेरी 1 नोव्हेंबर 1954 रोजी भारतात विलीन झाले. पूर्वेला बंगालची खाडी व उर्वरीत तिन्ही बाजूंना तमिळनाडू राज्य. पूर्व किनाऱ्यावर करईकल तर माहे पश्चिम घाटावर मलबार किनाऱ्यावर कालिकत विमानतळ आहे. माहे पासून 70 किमी यानम आंध्रप्रदेशातील पूर्व गोदावरी जिल्ह्याला जोडून आहे. यानम विशाखापट्टनम विमानतळापासून 200 किमी अंतरावर आहे.
केंद्र शासित प्रदेश पुद्दूचेरीच्या एकूण लोकसंख्येपैकी 45 टक्के लोकसंख्या शेती व शेतीसंबंधी उद्योगांवर आधारीत आहे. 90 टक्के शेती सिंचनाखाली येते. धान व डाळी ही पिके प्रमुख आहेत. माहे प्रांतात नारळ, मसाले, सुपारीची पिके तर यानम मध्ये डाळी, शेंगदाणे व मिरचीची पिके घेतली जातात. तसेच अन्य पावसाळी पिकेही येतात.
वस्त्र, संगणक, संगणकाचे सुटे भाग, इलेक्ट्रानिक उत्पादने, औषधी, चामड्याच्या वस्तू, साखर, धागे, स्पिरिट, बियर, पोटॅशियम क्लोरेट, वापरा व फेका प्रकारच्या सिरिंज, छताचे पत्रे, वॉशिंग मशीन, पोलादी नळ्या, स्वयपाकाचा गॅस आदी उद्योग पुद्दूचेरीत चालतात.
पुद्दूचेरीला फ्रेंच संस्कृती हा सांस्कृतिक वारसा आहे. येथील सुनियोजित शहरांच्या रचनेमध्ये फ्रेंच लोकांचा वारसा झळकत राहतो. वॉर मेमोरियल, फ्रेंच बौलेवर्ड टाऊन, श्री अरविंदो आश्रम, आयुरोव्हिले म्युझियम, चुननावर रिसॉर्ट, बोटॅनिकल गार्डन, डान्सिंग म्युझिकल फाऊंटन, ओसूडू लेक ही पर्यटन स्थळे महत्त्वाची आहेत. पुद्दूचेरीला लिखित साहित्याचाही इतिहास असून तमिळ कवी भारतीदासन हे पुद्दूचेरीचे कवी म्हणून ओळखले जातात.
पुद्दूचेरीचे लोकप्रिय नृत्य म्हणजे रामायणातील मिथकावर आधारीत असे वानर नृत्य आहे. हे नृत्य पाच ते आठ तास सलग पद्धतीने साजरे केले जाते. दोन मोठे ड्रम या नृत्यासाठी वाजवले जातात. या ड्रम्सना रामढोल म्हणतात. या नृत्याला वानर नृत्यही म्हणतात. नृत्याच्या वेळी पुरूष लोखंडी रींगा वापरतात. या रींगांची संख्या दहा पर्यंत असते. या रींगा पायात घालून विशिष्ट पदन्यासाने नाच केला जातो. नृत्य करताना या रींगांचा संगीतबद्ध नाद ऐकू येत असतो. या लोखंडी रींगांना अंजली असे म्हणतात.
दक्षिण भारतातला पोंगल हा सणही पुद्दूचेरीत साजरा करत असले तरी मासीमागम नावाचा उत्सव खास पुद्दूचेरीचा आहे, मासि नावाच्या तमिळ महिन्यात (फेब्रुवारी-मार्चच्या दरम्यान) पौर्णिमेच्या दिवशी हा उत्सव साजरा केला जातो. यावेळी अनेक भक्त आपले पापक्षालन करण्यासाठी खोल समुद्रात स्नान करतात. यामागे मिथक असे आहे की, सोवरी राजाने कोळी महिलेशी विवाह केला म्हणून कोळी वस्तीत राजाला प्रवेश मिळाला. या सणाकडे माणुसकीचा सण म्हणूनही पाहिले जाते.
विल्लीयनूर मंदिर उत्सव, बेस्टील दिवस (फ्रांस डे) हे उत्सव पुद्दूचेरीत उत्साहाने साजरे केले जातात. मंदिर उत्सव हा पारंपरिक भारतीय सण आहे तर बेस्टील दिवस हा फ्रांसचा सण आहे. फ्रेंच पद्धतीने बनवलेले (पदार्थ) अन्न उत्सवही फेब्रुवारी महिन्यात पाळला जातो. पारंपरिक ख्रिसमससह अरविंद घोष यांची जयंतीही दिमाखात साजरी केली जाते.
दक्षिण भारतातील पुद्दूचेरी हे उत्तम पर्यटन स्थळ मानले जाते. पुद्दूचेरी हे फ्रेंच रचनेचे शहर असून विशिष्ट पद्धतीच्या इमारती, चर्चेस, मंदिरे आणि पुतळे हे अगदी योजनाबद्धरित्या उभारले आहेत. अरविंद घोष यांचा आश्रम आणि चार समुद्र किनारे हे पर्यटकांचे मुख्य आकर्षण ठरतात. त्यातील रॉकी बीच जास्त लोकप्रिय आहे. अॅरोव्हीले नावाचे प्रायोगिक शहर पुद्दूचेरी पासून आठ किमी वर आहे, तेही पर्यटकांसाठी आकर्षण ठरते.
गिनगी, गुदुवयार, मलतार, पमबाइयार, पेनियार, करिकल, अरसालर, नांदलर, नत्तर, नुलर, प्रवादयनार, वंजीर, माहे, पोनियार, गौतमी या नद्या पुद्दूचेरीतून वाहतात.
पुद्दूचेरीत इतर आदिवासी आढळत नाहीत म्हणून आदिवासी संस्कृती वा त्यांच्या घटक बोलीही नाहीत.
(या व्यतिरिक्त अजून काही महत्वपूर्ण नोंदी अनावधानाने राहून गेल्या असतील तर अभ्यासकांनी लक्षात आणून द्याव्यात ही विनंती.)
- डॉ. सुधीर राजाराम देवरे
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योगी अरविंद किंवा श्री अरबिंदो यांनी स्वतःविषयी म्हटले होते “मी आधी कवि आहे, नंतर क्रांतीकारी आणि मग योगी” (Spiritual Leader). आज जगाला त्यांची ओळख मात्र उलट आहे. आज पाँडिचेरी किंवा पुडुचेरी म्हटले की डोक्यात येतो तो अरविंदांचा आश्रम. शालेय इतिहासात वाचलेले क्रांतीकारी अरविंद घोष म्हणजेच योगी अरविंद हे कित्येकांना माहीती नसते. निदान मला तरी बरीच वर्षे हे माहीत नव्हते. अलीपूर बॉम्ब केसमधे इंग्रजांनी अरविंद घोष यांच्यावर खटला भरला. चित्तरंजन दास मग अरविंदांच्या मदतीस धावले आणि त्यांची आरोपातून मुक्तता केली. या काळात जेलमधे असताना त्यांना काही आध्यात्मिक अनुभव आले. त्यानंतर त्यांनी योग आणि आध्यात्माचे काम सुरु केले. परंतु इंग्रजांचा त्यांच्यावर विश्वास नव्हता त्यांनी अरविंदांच्या विरोधात कुरापती चालूच ठेवल्या. त्यांच्या एका लेखावरुन त्यांच्याविरुद्ध वॉरंट काढले. अरविंदांचा राजकारणापेक्षा योगाभ्यास आणि आध्यात्म या गोष्टींकडे कल वाढत होता. १९१० साली अरविंदांनी बंगाल सोडले आणि पॉंडिचेरी येथे आले त्यानंतर पाँडिचेरी हेच अरविंदांचे घर झाले. पाँडिचेरी येथे फ्रेंचांची सत्ता असल्याने तेथे इंग्रज फार काही करु शकनार नाही याची त्यांना कल्पना होती. त्यांनी पॉंडेचेरी येथील वास्तव्यात सावित्री हे महाकाव्य लिहीले. महाभारत आणि उपनिषदे यावरही त्यांनी बरीच पुस्तके लिहिली. १९४३ साली साहीत्याच्या नोबेल पारितोषिकासाठी त्यांचे मानांकन झाले होते तसेच १९५० साली शांततेच्या नोबेल पुरसकारासाठी पण त्यांचे नामांकन झाले होते. १९२६ साली द मदर (मीरा रिचर्ड) यांनी अरविंदाच्या विचाराचा प्रसार करण्यासाठी अरविंद सोसायटी आणि अरविंद आश्रमाची स्थापना केली. हाच तो पाँडिचेरीचा अरविंद आश्रम. आश्रमात अरविंदांची समाधी आणि एक पुस्तक विक्रीचे दुकान या खेरीज काही नाही. तशा काही राहायला खोल्य. आश्रमात शांतता महत्वाची असल्याने तीन वर्षाखालील मुलांना प्रवेश देत नाही. पाच सहा वर्षीची मुले मात्र ‘इथे बोलायचे का नाही’ हा बालसुलभ प्रश्न विचारीत असतात. आश्रमात प्रवेश करताना सतत शांत रहा अशी सूचना शातपणेच मिळत होती. आश्रमात एका वृक्षाखाली अरविंदाची समाधी आहे. आश्रमात आलेले लोक समाधीपुढे काही मिनिटे शांत बसतात. मी तर तिथल्या शांततेने गांगरुन गेलो. मी स्वतः ध्यान वगेरे फार काही करीत नाही, साधे प्राणायम केले तरीही मोजून दहा ते बारा श्वास शांत बसने यापलीकडे शांत बसने मला जमत नाही. इथे संपूर्ण वातावरणात नीरव शांतता असल्याने समाधीपुढे तीन मिनिटे शांत बसने हा माझ्यासाठी एक वेगळा अनुभव होता. इतकी शांतता याआधी कधीच अनुभवली नव्हती.
(अरविंद आश्रम)
(वरील दोनही फोटो जालावरुन)
द मदर ही अरविंदांच्या चरीत्रापेक्षा अरविंदांचा विचार लोकांपर्यंत पोहचायला हवा याबाबतीत आग्रही होती असे वाचले होते. अरविंदांच्या मानव विकासाच्या विचाराने प्रेरीत होउन डॉ. जी. वेंकटस्वामी यांनी अरविंद आय केअरची स्थापना केली. आता अरविंद आय केअरचा अभ्यास केल्याशिवाय एमबीएची डिग्री पूर्ण होत नाही. एमबीए मधली सर्वात इंटरेस्टींग केस स्टडी आहे. एक तर ती भारतीय कंपनीविषयी आहे आणि दुसरे म्हणजे ती केस स्टडी नेहमीच्याच नफा तोट्याच्या पुढे जाउन विद्यार्थ्याला काही वेगळे शिकवून जाते. अरविंद यांचा मानवीय एकात्मता आणि समानतेचा संदेश प्रत्यक्षात उतरवण्यासाठी ऑरोविली ही वस्ती (Township) बसवण्यात आली. हा भाग तामीळनाडूमधे येतो आणि पुडुचेरी शहरापासून काहीसा लांब म्हणजे जवळ जवळ तीस ते पस्तीस किलोमीटर दूर आहे. एकंदरीत तीन ते चार तास लागतात तेंव्हा जाताना असाच प्लॅन करुन जावे. ऑरोविलीवर कुठल्या धर्माची किंवा पंथाची मालकी नाही. ऑरोविलीच्या मध्यभागी आहे मातृमंदीर. मातृमंदीरात जाण्याअगोदर मातृमंदीराविषयीचा विडीओ जरुर बघावा. त्या विडीयोत मदरचे एक वाक्य आहे ‘ऑरोविली हे पर्यटन स्थळ नाही’. तुमच्या आमच्या सारखे बरेच ऑरोविली येथील मातृमंदीर ही वास्तू बघायला जातात. असे असले तरी हे पर्यटन स्थळ नाही हे मनात ठेउनच या परीसरात फिरले पाहीजे. त्यामुळे रस्त्यात कुठे पाणी बॉटल विकनारा किंवा कोणी लिंबू पाणी विकनारा सापडत नाही. तसे काही नाही म्हणून आपली निराशाही होत नाही. एका मोठ्या वटवृक्षाच्या आसपास मातृमंदीर आहे. मातृमंदीराच्या पायथ्यापासून मातृ मंदीर व्ह्यू पॉइंट हा दीड ते दोन किलोमीटर चालत जायचा रस्ता आहे. मातृमंदीराच्या आत किंवा मातृमंदीराच्या व्ह्यू पॉइंटला मोफत पासेस घेउन जावे लागते. पासेस मिळण्याच्या वेळा आहेत ज्या कटाक्षाने पाळल्या जातात. वैश्विक एकात्मता वगेरे समजावी येवढी माझी बुद्धी नाही परंतु ती सोनेरी वास्तू बघून मात्र भारावून गेलो. घुमटाकार सोनेरी वास्तू फारच आकर्षक आहे. त्यातल्या पत्येक घुमटाला आणि दालनाला एक अर्थ आहे. त्याविषयीची सविस्तर माहीती जालावर उपलब्ध आहे. आजूबाजूचा परीसर पण खूप सुंदर आहे. पावसाळ्याचे दिवस होते त्यामुळे सर्वदूर हिरवेगार असल्याने परीसर अधिक सुंदर वाटत होता. सामान्यतः मातृमंदीराच्या आत कुणालाच प्रवेश देत नाही. तिथे ध्यान करण्याच्या विशिष्ट वेळा आहेत आणि त्याच वेळेला फक्त ध्यान करनाऱ्या लोकांनाच आत सोडले जाते. ज्यांना कुणाला मातृमंदीराच्या आत जाउन ध्यान करायचे असेल त्यांना आधीच कार्यालयाशी संपर्क साधावा लागतो. ध्यानासाठी एक दिवस अगोदर बुकिंग करावे लागते. नियमितपणे ध्यानधारणा (मेडीटेशन) करनाऱ्यांसाठी या वास्तूच्या आत जाउन ध्यान करणे एक पर्वनीच असेल. परत येताना वटवृक्षाखाली आराम केला. वटवृक्षाचा आवार बराच मोठा होता.
(मातृमंदीर)
(मातृमंदीर परीसर)
(हाच तो वटवृक्ष)
चेन्नइवरुन इसीआरने (Eastern Coast Road) पाँडिचेरीकडे जातानाच जाणवायला लागले की पूर्व किनारपट्टीचा पट्टा हा पश्चिम किनारपट्टीसारखा सुंदर नाही. सह्याद्रीचे जितके आभार मानावे ते कमीच आहे. तरीही सतत सोबत असनारा समुद्र, चांगला रस्ता यामुळे चेन्नइ ते पाँडिचेरी हा एकशे साठ ते एकशे सत्तर किलोमीटरचा चार साडेचार तासाचा प्रवास नक्कीच सुखावह होता. पाँडिचेरीत रेल्वे स्टेशन आणि विमानतळ दोनही आहेत परंतु तामीळनाडू बाहेरील लोकांसाठी चेन्नइच सोयीचे पडते. पाँडिचेरी हा केंद्रशासीत प्रदेश स्वतःचे वेगळे आमदार आणि मुख्यमंत्री असनारा पण कुठे तामीळनाडू संपला आणि कुठे पाँडिचेरी सुरु झाले ते काही कळले नाही, सर्वदूर अम्माचेच कटआउटस दिसत होते. १९४७ साली इंग्रज सोडून गेले तरीही फ्रेंचांनी मात्र पाँडिचेरी सोडले नाही. भारत सरकारचे प्रयत्न आणि स्थानिक लोकांनी केलेला विरोध यामुळे १९५४ साली पाँडिचेरी भारतात विलीन करण्याचा करार झाला परंतु हा निर्णय प्रत्यक्षात यायला १९६२ साल उजाडावे लागले. १६ ऑगस्ट १९६२ रोजी पाँडिचेरी भारतात सामील झाला म्हणजे साऱ्या भारताचा स्वातंत्रदिवस १५ ऑगस्ट तर पाँडिचेरीचा १६ ऑगस्ट. तिथे दोनही दिवस मनवले जातात.
पाँडिचेरी
फ्रेंचांची वस्ती आता व्हाइट टाउन आणि ऑरोव्हीली या भागात आहे. आमच्या ड्रायव्हरने सांगितल्याप्रमाणे ही लोक आत इथलीच झाली. कुणी फ्रेंच पुरुषाने तामील स्त्रीशी लग्न केले तर कुण्या तामील पुरुषाने फ्रेंच स्त्रीशी लग्न केले. व्हाइट टाउन मधली घरे ही फ्रेंच बनावटीने बनविलेली आहेत. याच भागात फ्रांस सरकारचे दूतावास आहे. अरविंद आश्रम, म्युझीयम, लायब्ररी हे सारे व्हाइट टाउनच्या आसपास आहेत. या भागात फिरत असताना एक प्रश्न आला ही तशी लहानच वस्ती मग या मूठभर फ्रेंच लोकांनी या भागावर कसे काय राज्य केले? कदाचित तसेच जसे मूठभर इंग्रजांनी साऱ्या भारतावर राज्य केले. दुसरा प्रश्न म्हणजे इंग्रजांनी फ्रेंचच नाही तर पोर्तुगीज, डच या वसाहती का सोडल्या? सारा भारत एकसंघ स्वतःच्या ताब्यात का घेतला नाही? या साऱ्या वसाहती समुद्र किनाऱ्याला लागून होत्या, व्यापारी दृष्टीने सोयीच्या होत्या परंतु इंग्रजांनी ताब्यात घेतल्या नाही कि घेउ शकले नाही कारण इंग्रजांनी प्रयत्न जरुर केले. व्हाइट टाउनची वसाहत पण अशीच समुद्रकिनाऱ्यावर आहे. व्हाइट टाउनच्या बाजूला जो समुद्री किनारा आहे त्याला रॉकी बीच असे म्हणतात. रॉकी बीच जिथन सुरु होतो तिथे एक महात्मा गांधीचा पुतळा आहे. हा पुतळा हीच ह्या बीचची ओळख आहे. हा भाग आपल्या मुंबईच्या मरीन ड्राइव्ह सारखाच. तिथला समुद्रकिनारा, लाइटस, रस्त्याच्या बाजूचा फुटपाथ हे सारे मरीन ड्राइव्ह सारखेच आहे. आम्ही दुपारी तीन साडेतीनला तिथे पोहचल्यामुळे उन्हानेच त्रस्त होतो.
(व्हाइट टाउन फ्रेंचवस्ती)
(रॉकी बीच बराचसा मरीन ड्राइव्ह सारखाच)
पूर्व किनारपट्टीवरील काही बीचेसची लांबी खूप मोठी आहे. चेन्नइचा मरीना बीच हा तर जगातल्या दहा सर्वात लांब बीचमधे येतो. पाँडिचेरीच्या परीसरात पण बरेच बीचेस आहेत. पॅराडाइस बीचवर जायला बोटींग क्लब पासून बोट करुन जावे लागते. संध्याकाळच्या वेळेला आम्ही अशाच एका बीचवर खेळत असताना माझ्या डोक्यात सतत एकच चालले होते सूर्य का दिसत नाही. संध्याकाळच्या वेळेला समुद्रावर जाउन सूर्यास्त बघायची सवय नडत होती. मुलांनांही सन सेट बघायला जाउ असे सांगून घेउन आलो होतो. समुद्रावर खेळण्याच्या नादात मुले विसरली होती पण माझे आपले तेच चालले होते. अर्धा पाउण तासानंतर मागे वळून वर बघितल्यावर लक्षात आले आपण पूर्व किनारपट्टीवर आहो इथे सूर्य समुद्रात मावळत नाही तो समुद्रात उगवतो. तेंव्हाच निर्णय घेतला उद्या सकाळी उठून सूर्योदय बघायला यायचे. साडेपाचचा गजर लावून सहा वाजेपर्यंत मी समुद्रकिनाऱ्यावर पोहचलो. सकाळी सहा वाजता लाटांच्या मधुर संगीताच्या साथीने केलेला मॉर्निंग वॉक, दूर कुठेतरी मासेमारांच्या होड्या आणि समुद्राच्या पाण्यातून वर येनारा तांबडा गोल. मनोहारी दृष्य होते. काही क्षण फोटो वगेरे घ्यायला हवा हेही विसरुन गेलो. रोजच सकाळ इतकी सुंदर आणि मनोहर हवी असे वाटले. तेथेच एक स्थानिक मासेमार वाळूतले खेकडे पकडताना दिसला. तो त्या वाळूत भला मोठा खड्डा करुन खेकडे पकडत होता. त्याला तो सूर्योदय, त्या होड्या याचेशी काही देणेघेणे नव्हते. रोजच सकाळ जर अशी असती तर मी पण त्याच्या सारखाच माझ्या पोटाच्या उद्योगाला लागलो असतो. तेंव्हा जे आहे तेच सुंदर मानावे हेच खरे.
(सूर्यास्त उलट बाजूला)
(बोटक्लब)
(सूर्योदय)
गेली बारा वर्षे दक्षिणेतच राहत असल्याने आम्ही इडली दोसा आणि कर्ड राइस खायला चांगलेच सरावलोय त्यामुळे आम्हाला दक्षिणेत फिरताना खाण्याचा फार त्रास होत नाही. इथे अप्पम, इदीअप्पम आणि पुट्टुचाही स्वाद चाखायला मिळाला. तसे हे केरळी प्रकार पण पाँडेचेरीमधे मिळत होते. आता नावे आठवत नाही पण काही पाँडिचेरीच्या भाज्याही खाल्ल्या. मासे आणि खेकड्यांचे पण खास पाँडेचेरी प्रकार नक्कीच असतील पण आमचा शाकाहार आम्हाला नडला. फक्त एका गोष्टीची खंत राहीली भारतातल्या फ्रेंचांच्या वसाहतीत जाउनही फ्रेंच जेवण जेवण्याचा योग आला नाही. ऑरोविलीच्या पायथ्याशी असलेल्या हॉटेलात फ्रेंच जेवण मिळेल असे वाटले होते पण ते फक्त पोट भरण्यासाठीचे हॉटेल होते. तिथे आपले नेहमीचेच पिझ्झा, रोटी, राइस प्लेट या प्रकारातले जेवण होते. फ्रेंच जेवण न मिळाल्याची खंत मग आम्ही रात्री हॉटेलवर फ्रेंच रेड वाइन पिउन घालविली.
अरविंद, त्यांचे आध्यात्म, त्यांचे तत्व, त्यांचा Integrated Yoga या साऱ्यांवर कुणाचा विश्वास असेल कुणाचा नसेल. काही टिकाही करीत असतील. मदरच्या म्हणण्याप्रमाणे अरविंदांचा विचार जगातल्या कानाकोपऱ्यात पोहचेल किंवा नाही पोहचनार परंतु अरविंदांच्या वास्तव्यामुळे पाँडिचेरीला मिळालेली ओळख मात्र कधीच पुसनार नाही.
मित्रहो
https://mitraho.wordpress.com/
Evergreen Tirunelveli (Nellai)
The Assets of Tamilnadu
Arikamedu – The Lost Roman Trading Port Of India
Travelling to a heritage site always makes me happy the reason being that I get to transform myself back centuries and feel the grandeur amongst the ruins. When I was traveling to Pondicherry and was researching the various interesting places in and around Pondicherry then I chanced upon the name of Arikamedu. Searching online revealed that this is an archaeological site currently under ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).
Interestingly Arikamedu has a history that not many are aware of and the significance of the place is not only important for India but ancient Rome (Europe) also. Arikamedu was one of the most important and prominent trading ports of India with the Roman Empire dated as early as 2 BC. This place also finds a mention in Periplus Maris Erythrian which is basically the trade route map of the Roman Empire.
History of Arikamedu
For some reason, this trading port was lost in history and only finds being mentioned centuries later in the year 1734 when the French East India Company informed their reporting station that they have stumbled upon an ancient site. During its excavation in 1765, it was reported that some brick structures were present. However, the major excavation on this site was carried on during 1937 by Gabriel Jouveau Dubreuil where he found gemstones, engraved stones and some beads which were one of the most important trading items from this port of Arikamedu.
The first major work by ASI on this site was undertaken by Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler in the year 1945. It is to be noted that Sir Wheeler was the then Director General of ASI. The excavation which was done in phases led to the discovery of jars, wine making jars, beads, gemstones, roman cutlery etc.
Interestingly Sir Wheeler had used the grid method for this excavation which was similar to other excavations that he would further conduct around the world. The excavation at Arikamedu was also important in dating the finds as the various objects could be classified and the exact date of its existence be narrowed upon.
Apart from the Roman traded items, some artifacts were also found to be of Chinese origin belonging to the Song-Yuvan dynasty and coins from the Chola dynasty.
However the significant this site may be to the Indian trading
history with the Roman world this site was never highlighted and was not
on the tourist map for several decades. It is only recently that this
place is being mentioned as one of the tourist stopovers around
Pondicherry.
Visiting Arikamedu
This being not on a popular tourist trail was felt when I wanted to visit it, the driver of our car had never heard of it, neither did the hotel staff. I had to completely depend on GPS on my mobile where I had pre-fed the information so that I could direct the driver to drive on the laid-out route. What followed was a comedy of errors, being a less visited site the GPS often plotted the route taking us to narrow lanes where even a bicycle would find it difficult to pass. Somehow we managed to reach the spot after speaking to few locals for alternate roads.
After reaching the spot we were in a fix as only a plaque of ASI told
the visitors of the spot which was surrounded by barbed wires. The
fenced area was quite large and quite dense with trees and shrubs. What
was more alarming was that a group consisting of mostly drunk youths
were having a party under a tent with loud music. Since this was an
unguarded spot without any ASI officials thus the locals were using it
as a common picnic spot which considering the history and significance
of the place should be avoided.
Arikamedu now
Ironically it’s this group that ultimately came to my rescue, on seeing me approaching with a huge camera slung across and a big sun hat the locals immediately stopped the music assuming me as an ASI employee. One of the boys even ran up to me to enquire and on finding out that I was just a tourist who had come with a family the group of boys directed me to the exact spot which was a minutes’ walk from the gate.
This being a trading post was quite near to the river when seen on a map and the only remains visible are the ruins of an old brick structure which is assumed to be that of a warehouse. Extensive excavation was once carried out all over the locality but these are not visible now and uneven surfaces are the only evidence that this place was once excavated.
The brick structure was almost crumbling to the ground and if these are not urgently restored then very soon there will not be any visible structures left.
With the sea and river nearby this place can be heavily promoted as a tourist spot and the ticket money collected can be used to redevelop the site and helping the crumbling structures some much-needed restoration thus providing some decades more for surviving.
If you are traveling to Pondicherry then Arikamedu can be a good half
a day trip and I would definitely recommend you not to travel alone and
to travel with a group during daytime as this place is completely
isolated.
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Places To Eat In Pondicherry
Pondicherry and food have a long history when it comes to the Indian Vagabond I mean me myself. Wondering what nonsense I am talking about? Well to truly understand this let us rewind a couple of years approximately 28 years. I was around 7 and somehow remember this incident as it happened.
We had gone to Bangalore during our vacation and it was just before we actually shifted there and during our vacation, we made a detour to Pondicherry where a good friend of my father Mr. Augustine Brutus lived. Pondicherry was more French than what I had seen recently, not influenced by the steady influx of tourists this place was a real little French town.
During that visit we had a grand gala dinner at a newly opened Chinese restaurant known as Quality and the spread was the best the sea could offer, lobsters, shrimps you name it they had it.
Don’t exactly remember what happened in between but my stomach started churning and I had to rush to the toilet. Since I was quite young thus on the pretext of watching the fishes in the aquarium I decided to ease myself in the toilet as I did not want others who were there at the dinner party to know.
Somehow I could not manage to figure out the route to the toilet and in this confusion could not control myself and let it all out. My sister was wondering why I was standing still and staring at the aquarium and not making any movement which was very unlike of me. She approached me to enquire and then with no other option had to inform her about my misfortune.
My mother at once came running and was somehow dragged to the toilet where I was cleaned up by my mother and my sister. As luck would have it she was not carrying and spare clothes thus the only option was to wrap me in a shawl. So the next part of the dinner was spent me sitting wearing a wraparound in the form of a shawl.
Years passed by but this incident still remained etched in my mind,
when I was traveling to Pondicherry recently and I was informing my
father about this trip he jokingly reminded me of the famous “Pondicherry Food Adventure”.
On a serious note, he insisted that I try all the authentic French
cuisine that Pondicherry as it’s as French as it can get sitting here in
India.
Unique Places to Eat in Pondicherry
The day I reached Pondicherry along with my family I had declared to them that the time we would be in Pondicherry would be only having French food and nothing else. My daughter being a foodie like me agreed and it did not take long to make my wife agree.
New Farm Fresh – Pondicherry
Our first stop was at New Farm Fresh which is quite famous for its pizza, now pizza is often related to Italian cuisine but even the French has its own version. While I was going around the White Town locality my wife ordered a medium pizza and when were served came the real surprise. Thin crust pizza with cheese topping, black olives, bell pepper and served with condiments which can be added on as per taste. I was never a pizza fan but this was something really different.
On enquiring, I was told that they use traditional wood fire oven which creates a perfect heating environment, unlike the electric ovens. With wood, the heat is spread out unevenly and this creates the magic actually given each pizza its unique identity, unlike the branded mass produced pizza.
Apart from pizza, sandwich and other confectionaries this small shop also sells organic coffee, spices, and jams. And the best part is that is that it was not that expensive and priced quite reasonable.
Baker Street – Pondicherry
Our next French food adventure was by fluke, we were hungry and wanted to have a good sumptuous dinner and was looking for some restaurant to settle down. We had selected a restaurant that we planned to go and was following the route map that was suggested on the phone GPS. The traffic was thick and we were traveling on a rented scooty zipping around traffic. Suddenly by chance, my eye caught a sign that said “Baker Street” which was mentioned as a French Delicacy Concept Store. Changing the plan we decided to try out Baker Street.
This place is something which I have never imagined could exist here in India, a bakery shop selling authentic French food and confectionary. Another good thing about this place is that you have the option for chicken, pork, fish and veg this makes the options in the menu truly remarkable of course not to forget the varieties of pastries, cookies and other sweet dishes.
This place has a steady flow of both Indian customers as well as many French tourists who come here to try out something that would remind them of their homeland. Surprisingly most of the employees taking the orders speak fluent French and this make this place a little more authentic than just its food.
Marc’s Cafe – Pondicherry
The next stop was an equal adventure, my daughter wanted to swim in the sea so I had planned to take my family on the rented Scooty to Auro Beach which was supposed to be one of the safe beaches in Pondicherry where you can enjoy a swim. For this, we left our hotel early and headed straight to the beach skipping our breakfast. After enjoying the swim we decided to head towards Auroville which was around fifteen minutes’ drive from the beach.
Since we had all skipped our breakfast thus we were really hungry not finding any shops open on a Sunday morning we had no choice but to stop outside a small coffee shop where we could spot some customers mainly foreigners enjoying their morning cuppa. To our surprise, this place not only serves organic coffee but also home mage cakes, cookies, and freshly prepared sandwiches.
Marc’s Cafe was the brainchild of Marc a who came to India from Spain (Catalan) to settled in Auroville and opened his own coffee shop where he himself would brew each cup according to the customers’ preference. Along with this his staff daily would prepare organic cakes and other snacks.
The coffee was the best I had ever tasted along with the fresh baked products. This was the kind of Pondicherry that I wanted to see and taste. The best part was that the owner Marc himself interacts with the customer making it a personal experience.
All this made me curious and I asked Marc about his philosophy and he simply smiled and said “I give what the customers want and not what I want to serve the customer, this way the customer is happy and satisfied. As a chef, it’s for me to understand the uniqueness of each customer and adjust the taste accordingly”. This I guess is why this place is so popular adding on to the café there is an expansion plan to open up boarding lodges on the first floor which I think would be a real good place to stay.
Other Eating Joints in Pondicherry
Apart from this, there are few other places which are worth the mention, if you are visiting Auroville then do drop by the Dreamers Café, here also you get good organic coffee along with organic food. In general, if you are at the White Town which is the old French quarter then do drop by at Café Des Arts, La Villa Shanti etc. All around White Town locality, you will find numerous restaurants and open-air café serving some of the best food that your money can buy.
By the way, I did try to locate Quality Restaurant, unfortunately, it must have closed after some many years as I could not find it. I just wanted to visit the same place where I had such a “pleasant” history which till date I cannot forget.
Hope you have enjoyed my blogs do check out the other blogs on Pondicherry and see you soon in my next blog.
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Pondicherry – Things to Do In White Town
In my previous blog, I have told you about White Town in Pondicherry which is basically the centrepiece of Pondicherry, a small locality located right next to the sea and stuck in a time warp. Logically this White Town is also home to some of the tourist spots in Pondicherry.
In this blog, I am going to tell you about eight of the key spots that you can visit while you are at White Town Pondicherry. These are mentioned in the order of the path that you can follow by which all of these can be covered within a walk of 1.2 Kilometres.
White Town Pondicherry Walking Tour
Sri Aurobindo Ashram – Pondicherry
People often confuse Sri Aurobindo Ashram with Auroville, these are two separate locations and separate entity. Sri Aurobindo Ashram was the place with Sri Aurobindo after retiring from politics settled here along with few of his followers and started a spiritual movement.
This is also the place where the remains of Sri Aurobindo and Mother (spiritual partner) are kept in a Samadhi (tomb). Many devotees and tourists visit this place and often can be seen standing in a long queue outside the house.
Pondicherry Museum (White Town)
If you are really interested in the history then spend some quality time in this museum. Even though we associate Pondicherry with only French history but in reality it goes much beyond that and in this museum you will be able to see glimpses of the rich history of this region.
This museum has a vast collection of arms like old guns, muskets, swords, and knives. A collection of statues of stone and metals is something that can rival any large museum. The centre piece is the huge statue of Nataraj which is kept on the ground floor.
On the first floor of the museum, you will get a glimpse of the French Pondicherry, mirrors, grandfather clock, furniture, cutlery etc. There are some rooms which have been carefully decorated with a specific theme like the dinner table, bed all using authentic French era objects.
Romain Rolland Library – Pondicherry
This is one of the few libraries in Pondicherry and one with a great history. This library was renamed to honour French scholar Romain Rolland in the year 1966. There is another library the old one which you can visit and the best part about the old library is that it’s still referred by its French Name “Bibliotheque Publique”
These libraries have a good collection of books and if you are in Pondicherry for few days then grab a copy and relax at the beach.
Beach Road – Pondicherry
This is the Sunset Boulevard of Pondicherry, during the day time traffic is allowed but from evening onwards traffic is restricted to allow visitors to enjoy. This winding road stretches right across the White Town at the edge bordering the Promenade Beach. In fact, most of the important tourist spots are all located on this road itself.
Gandhi Statue – Pondicherry
Locally known as Gandhi Mandappam it’s a four meter black stone statue of M. K. Gandhi the most prominent freedom fighter of India and recognised as the father of the nation. The statue is surrounded by six pillars which were installed here later and originally were installed around the statue of Dupliex.
There was also a tunnel here which would take you to towards the end of the road near Dupliex statue but this has been closed after some people died due to suffocation.
Pondicherry Old Lighthouse
This lighthouse is just diagonally opposite to the Gandhi statue, this is the old lighthouse and non-functional. Even though it’s non-functional still it’s a government property and entry inside the premises is restricted. This could have been a good tourist attraction if the local government could have a ticketing system to allow visitors to go up to the top and get a good panoramic view.
Pondicherry French War Memorial
This memorial is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Great War (World War 1) this memorial is known as Monument aux combattants des Indes francaises morts pour la patrie. Built in the year 1938 by the then French governor Horace Valentin Crocicchia this place also has a bronze bas-relief of Dupleix to commemorate his arrival in Pondicherry in the year 1742.
Pondicherry – Joan of Arc Statue
Jeanne d’Arc or Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France and this is well represented with her statue in Pondicherry. The unique thing about this particular status is that it’s turning its back to the sea and facing the Our Lady of Angels Church (Eglise de notre Dame des Anges) in fact if you wish to enter the park then you have to come from the church side.
This statue was donated by Francois Gaudart in the year 1920 to the church, Francois Gaudart was a famous French industrialist of that era.
Dupliex Statue – Pondicherry
Marquis Joseph Francois Dupleix was a French general who was one of the key figures in bringing Pondicherry into the French trade map as a part of French East India Company.
He had an illustrious career travelling across the American and India. In 1742 he was appointed as the governor-general (French establishments) in India.
He was a key figure in the expansion of French influence in India during the British Raj, this expansion also led to several rifts ultimately leading to several wars and also further negotiations to reconcile between the French and the British. His role was never forgotten and this statue erected in his honour in 1870 one in Pondicherry and the other one in France the place where he actually belonged.
The statue that we see in Pondicherry was not its original place but was originally erected where the now Jawaharlal Nehru Statue stands surrounded by the pillars that we now see the Gandhi statue.
Pondicherry Old Churches
Apart from these, there are several old churches in White Town which is also a must. The list of churches and other related buildings are as follows:-
- Immaculate Conception Cathedral
- Archbishop’s House
- Hospice Convent
- Our Lady of Angels Church (Eglise de notre Dame des Anges)
- Former Norte Dame des Anges
- Our Lady of Angels Boys Home
- Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I have written about these in details in a separate blog, please read Churches of Pondicherry to know more. All these places are in the White town and can be easily be accessed on foot.
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Pondicherry – White Town
Being a heritage lover the best part of Pondicherry according to me was the walk around White Town. As the name suggest it was a secluded section in Pondicherry which was exclusively reserved for the white French people who had settled here and called it home after 1674 when they acquired it and used it as a trading post along with other locations such as Mahe, Karaikal, Yanam and Chandannagar.
I have been to Chandannagar since it’s quite near to Kolkata and the classic French architecture is present but not like what we can see in White Town. The moment you enter this locality you will be transported a century back into some French town. The roads, houses, hanging balconies, crisscrossing streets are typical that of a French town something similar that I had seen in St. Louis in Senegal.
Location of Pondicherry White Town
It was a visual pleasure beyond words, bright yellowing houses with hanging veranda, bougainvillea covering the entrance and for a change spick and span clean streets. Even though Pondicherry was officially handed back to India in 1954 by the French government but the town remained the way it was and thus creating a pause in its history which is to be cherished.
This is a photo blog that I am dedicating to this wonderful little French town in India. Let the images speak a thousand words to you.
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Beaches in Pondicherry
The highlight of my Pondicherry trip along with my family was the French architecture but for my daughter, her main intention was to splash in the waters of The Bay of Bengal. Thus the very moment we landed in the Union Territory of Pondicherry (now Puducherry) my daughter started throwing all sorts of tantrums forcing us to head for the beach first.
This tour of Pondicherry was completely unplanned thus I had not done any research on the important places of interest and in this confusion booked a hotel quite far from the main attractions. We took an Auto which would take us to Promenade Beach, unknown to me this is basically a beach front with a sea wall made up of large boulders and swimming is a big no no here considering the deep waters.
All the hopes of splashing waters and enjoying a long sea bath were completely evaporated and this made my daughter very depressed. I promised her that next morning we will definitely drive down to a beach and give her the opportunity to splash in the waters.
That very night I dug through resources online to research on the
number of beaches in Pondicherry. What people generally forget is that
Pondicherry is a Union Territory comprising of four separate land masses
and not the main Pondicherry town as such. There are places like Mahe, Yanam and Karaikal which also forms a part of Union Territory of Pondicherry even though these are physically separated from each other.
Beaches in Pondicherry
Promenade Beach
Auroville Beach
Serenity Beach
Repos Beach
Veerampattinam Beach
Paradise Beach / Plage Paradiso
Mahe Beach (Mahe)
Karaikal Beach (Karaikal)
From the above list, I found that the best two beaches to take a swim would be Auroville Beach and Paradise Beach which is also known as Plage Paradiso. The rest of the beaches are good for a stroll but not recommended for a swim considering its topology.
Promenade Beach – Pondicherry
This beach front has a long road winding along locally known as Beach Road and people usually come here for a walk in the evening when all vehicular traffic is stopped and only people are allowed to walk.
All the major local tourist attractions are here along this road and also some of the top restaurants that the town can offer. The whole road is very scenic and throughout the day you will find tourist sitting all along the beach front.
Unfortunately, the water out here is extremely deep and swimming is absolutely not allowed, every evening at 5 PM the traffic is closed and the entire strip of the road becomes free for the tourists to enjoy. On a weekend you will find almost the entire town out here enjoying their free time.
Auroville Beach – Pondicherry
If you are staying in White Town or its surrounding areas then the nearest would be Auroville Beach as this can be easily reached in an Auto or with a hired Scooty or Motor Bike. Luckily for me, I had booked a Scooty the previous day and this would mean that we can go to the places that we want to without any time restrictions.
So with the maps pre-loaded on my GPS enabled phone we started to head towards Auroville Beach, I was the driver and my wife was the navigator with the phone instructing me to turn left of right. Being a Scooty my daughter managed to take the front section where she could easily adjust and get the best view.
Being Sunday and that too early in the morning there was no traffic and zoomed across the four-lane roads and within half an hour we were are Auroville Beach. This is the most deserted beach that I have ever been to, there were just no one in sight just blue waters and yellow sand.
My daughter enjoyed every minute that she was here building sand castles and waiting for the big waves to sweep in and splash both her and her castle.
The fishermen were slowly returning with their catch and it was a scene worth looking at. Even though I would not consider Auroville Beach as a good swimming beach since the waters are still quite deep here but nevertheless better than Promenade Beach which is just surrounded by big boulders.
Serenity Beach – Pondicherry
These are two small beaches right between Promenade Beach and Auroville Beach. Serenity Beach is a mix of rocky boulders and sand beaches. Being its close proximity to White Town this place may be a bit crowded on weekends and do not expect pristine secluded beach environment. This beach is, however, the best place to see the sunrise.
Repos Beach – Pondicherry
Some call this the foreigners’ beach as this is quite frequented by the foreign guests who stay at Auroville. This is a small portion of the beach that lies between Serenity Beach and Auroville Beach.
Veerampattinam Beach – Pondicherry
This is actually a coastal village a little far from the center Pondicherry, visit this place to enjoy its scenic beauty. This is not a popular beach to go for a swim but if you want to see the daily lives of fisherman in their daily ritual then this place should be a go-to destination for you.
Paradise Beach – Chunnambar Boat House
This is undoubtedly the best beach that this town can offer but this is also the farthest from the main city center. To reach this place you need to first reach a place called Chunnambar Boat House which is basically a very deep backwater with boating facility. You need to buy a boat ticket from here which would take passengers by speed boat to Paradise Beach and visitors can spend a couple of hours enjoying the soft white sand and then return by the same boat.
Apart from speed boats groups large in number can hire bigger houseboats exclusively for taking them to Paradise Beach. The waters of Chunnambar backwaters are extremely deep and when I was taking photographs a minder was constantly nearby warning me about the deep waters.
Once you reach Paradise Beach you will realize why it is called the best beach in Pondicherry, first of all, due to its remote location which requires you to travel by boat makes this not accessible to all thus less number of visitors and secondly the soft sand and long beach makes it perfect for a quick swim.
Recently there are lots of activities that you can do at the beach like Jet Ski, Beach Volleyball and other activities which will surely keep you entertained. There are also some shacks on the beach to grab a quick bite or just sip a cold drink.
Mahe Beach & Karaikal Beach
Even though these are officially part of the territory of Pondicherry
but in fact physically these are quite far. For instance, Mahe is
actually in Kerala and Karaikal is south of Pondicherry near Nagapattinam. Both of these places have fantastic beaches but you need to plan a separate trip for these.
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Churches of Pondicherry
India being once part of the British Empire saw its share of cross-cultural amalgamation especially when it comes to architectural style. However India being a pretty large land mass there were also some pockets of French, Portuguese and Dutch settlements. One such classic example is that of Pondicherry, a small town which had been completely engulfed into the lifestyle of a classic French town prior to India’s independence and few years even after.
After the De Jure of 1956 which was the treaty under which Pondicherry and other French territories of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam became Indian territories. There was, however, a twist where Pondicherry did not merge with Madras (Tamil Nadu) but instead remained as a Union Territory.
Pondicherry is considered as one of the best weekend destination in southern India, especially from Chennai and Bengaluru. It can either be reached by train or you can simply drive down. Hotels are plenty but it must be noted that on extended weekends and other major holidays most of the hotels completely fill up thus do book in advance.
Pondicherry now which is known as Puducherry (referring back to its original traditional name) has quite a few tourist spots which a person can visit. Being a very small territory it’s easy to cover almost all of these in two to three days.
Pondicherry can basically be divided into Churches, White Town (Original French Town), Beaches and Auroville. I am going to divide the blog so that it’s easy for you to plan your trips within the town. Thus my first blog is going to be on the Churches of Pondicherry.
There are many churches in Pondicherry but I am only going to mention about the French built churches in and around White Town since the rest of the churches are comparatively new and do not have such a classic history as these ones.
If you are staying in White Town locality then these places can easily be covered by a short walk else you need to take an Auto and come to White Town to look around.
I would personally recommend you to hire a Scooty or Motor Bike if
you have a valid driver’s licence since this way you would be easily
covering not only all the churches but a lot of other tourist
attractions in this town. These can be easily hired through the hotel
reception or through online search. For security deposit, you would
require depositing any valid ID card like voters ID card, Aadhar ID card
etc. which would be returned to you after you hand back the keys. The
rent per night varies from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000
depending on the tourist season but still the cheapest and quickest
option. Additionally please do have a smart phone with GPS capability so
that you can easily set the direction and head off.
Location of churches in pondicherry
Immaculate Conception Cathedral – Pondicherry
Situated right next to the Archbishop’s House this is the main mother church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. Built in the year 1791 this church has gone through various stages of remodelling and modifications. On this very ground, many churches were built and destroyed. Destroyed first by the Dutch and then by the British. The church that we see now is the fourth church structure that was built on this site however the present church was actually erected on the third church that stood on this location.
The church according to me looks more beautiful from the inside than the outside. From outside the front façade looks flat with various architectural points amongst which the statue of Virgin Mary is the most prominent.
Once inside you will fall in love with the beautiful white walls with golden borders, the highlight of the interior is the altar with skylights surrounding creating a beautiful magenta aura.
Archbishop’s House – Pondicherry
Right next to Immaculate Conception Cathedral we have the Archbishop’s House which is the residence of the Arch Bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
Hospice Convent – Pondicherry
While on your way you will cross Hospice Convent which as the name suggests is an old age home built in 1876 by Desbassayns de Richemont (son of a former governor).
Our Lady of Angels Church
(Eglise de notre Dame des Anges) – Pondicherry
Originally built in 1855 this is one of the oldest church in Pondicherry and one of the important tourist attractions also. This church is the best example of Greco-Roman style architecture with two tall towers when seen from the front and a dome over the main altar.
The design was based on the Notre Dame de Paris which has identical two tall towers however when compared in size the one in Pondicherry is relatively much smaller.
This location originally set to have four churches that were originally built by the Capuchins order but at the moment only this church is active where the service takes place. The other two have been converted into orphanages which are right opposite to the church compound.
Former Norte Dame des Anges – Pondicherry
The four churches that were originally here were built by the Capuchins order and one such is still preserved as a part of the boy’s orphanage and is right next to Our Lady of Angels Church. Almost impossible to understand that it was once a church but if you enter then you will be able to see the main hall and the altar which was once there.
I could see classes going on inside thus did not venture much inside but could see the various side rooms which I assume were church vestibules.
Our Lady of Angels Boys Home – Pondicherry
Right next to Former Norte Dame des Anges is Our Lady of Angels Boys Home, this was also according to the record once a church belonging to the Capuchins order but later transformed into a boy’s home.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Pondicherry
This is relatively a new church built in the year 1907 on the wishes of Archbishop Mgr. Gandy who dedicated this church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This basically meant that this church was being dedicated to the basic concept of taking the heart of Jesus Christ and his love for humanity.
This church has been built in Gothic style and the highlight of the church is its numerous stained glass works which creates a visual masterpiece inside.
That’s it, for now, will be back in my next blog where I will take you around the White Town which would basically comprise of all the major tourist attractions that Pondicherry can offer.
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