To Pondicherry (Aug 2009)
Sunrise in Pondicherry
This post takes together miscellaneous photos of Pondicherry and puts them together in a single post. This will then leave only a post on Auroville to write up.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue is one of the highlights of downtown Pondicherry. It is situated by, you guessed it, Mahatma Gandhi beach, which is a narrow strip of land on the shore that serves as the downtown beach.
View Larger Map
You can see the Lighthouse in the background, and the customs office next to it.
The French War Memorial is a monument to soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. I don't know whether only French soldiers who died are remembered here. The plaque reads "... fallen soldiers from French India...", so I assume it includes all soldiers, Indian, French, and others, who died during the war.
A prominent bookshop in the main market in Pondicherry.
And a Hallmark store too.
A feature of downtown Pondicherry, and mostly of the French part of downtown, is that the streets are French, and the signs too are in French, and that lends this part of Pondicherry a very distinctive feel, different from other cities in India.
And atop some houses you can also see the French flag flying.
The Sri Aurobindo Center of Education is a part of the Aurobindo Society in downtown Pondicherry. Across the street is Aurobindo Ashram. The Aurobindo Center is a school and also does research in new ways of learning and education. Aurobindo Ashram is where Sri Aurobindo live during his stay in Pondicherry. His samadhi can be found there. It is open to all during working hours of the Ashram. Photography is not allowed inside, and while the security guards do not prohibit the entry of children, they generally discourage young children from going inside. This is because at Sri Aurobindo's samadhi, there is absolute silence. You will always find a small throng of devotees sitting or meditating there, but not a single word. No sound. It is peaceful there. You can actually listen to your own thoughts there.
View Larger Map of the Aurobindo Center
There is a post office across the road. So now you know the pincode of the area: 605002.
A policeman.
Baker Street is a famous bakery in Pondicherry. A must visit place for tourists. However, be forewarned that it is pricey, and apart from the fact that it is on the visit-list of tourists, there is nothing really distinctive about the place. Small and quiet.
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| Baker Street in Pondicherry |
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| Baker Street, Pondicherry |
© 2009, Abhinav Agarwal. All rights reserved.
