Day trip from Chennai
Officially known as Puducherry, this city is the capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. It is located on the southeast coast of India and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal to the east and the state of Tamil Nadu to its south, north, and west. It was a French colony for 138 years before it was transferred to India in 1954 and became officially part of India in 1963. Today Pondicherry is a mix of Tamil and French cultures. French is spoken as widely as Tamil here.
Puducherry is 166km south of Chennai and less than 3 hour drive by car. One can also take the 3-hour train to Puducherry from Chennai. My brother who lives in Chennai drove us to Puducherry on a day trip in December of 2018. We started early and stopped on the way for breakfast. Once we reached Puducherry, our first stop was at the Promenade or rock beach.
- Promenade Beach
- Statues of Nehru and Gandhi
- Auroville
- Ashram
- Temple
Promenade Beach – Facing the Bay of Bengal, this beach is a popular place for the locals and visitors to hang out, walk, pose for pictures etc. There was not much crowd on the day we visited and we were able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and take a walk here.
Statues of Nehru and Gandhi – The statue of Nehru (first Prime Minister of India) and Mahatma Gandhi (nonviolent independence leader also called Father of India) are located on the famous promenade beach(see above), a scenic stretch along the Bay of Bengal. The 2 statues face each other.
Aurobindo Ashram – The Ashram was established in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh after he withdrew from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910. He was a philosopher, a yoga guru, and a poet and built a place where you can seek spirituality in a laid-back atmosphere and attain inner peace by meditating in its serene atmosphere.
Mira Alfassa or “The Mother” took the complete responsibilities of this ashram on her shoulders after the death of Aurobindo Gosh in 1950. She was a French-Indian spiritual guru and yoga teacher, and a collaborator of Aurobindo Gosh. She died in 1973.
The ashram is currently managed by a public charitable trust who make sure that the vision and legacy of the ashram are followed properly. There is no entry fee to visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It opens its doors for people from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM during the day and then from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the evening on all days. It will take 2-3 hours to explore the ashram. Please note that children under 3 years of age are not allowed to enter the ashram.
Auroville – is an experimental township founded in 1968. The idea for Auroville originated in the 1930s with Mirra Alfassa, also known as “the Mother”. The name “Auroville” means “City of Dawn” and pays homage to Sri Aurobindo. It is a universal town where men and women of all countries will be able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize Human Unity, a place of peace, concord and harmony.
A giant golden sphere/dome called the Matrimandir meaning ‘Temple of Mother’ is located at the center of the town for silent meditation. Guests can see it from outside on a day visit. Permission for meditating inside has to be taken one day in advance in person.
Along the path leading to Matrimandir are some huge and old banyan trees.
Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple – This temple is located within walking distance of the Gandhi and Nehru statue and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The temple is said to have been established almost 5 centuries ago and attracts a large number of devotees. According to the myth, a Frenchman tried to remove the Ganesha idol from the temple several times. But each time the idol was removed, it reappeared on its own. Persuaded with the power of the idol, the Frenchman converted as an ardent devotee of the lord.