Pondicherry

Returning from my 3 years in Pondicherry .. 3 years of  medical training with its own ups and downs .. Yet it brought me to Pondicherry and Auroville.. places I’ve grown to love .. so lets talk only about the city today.

Pondicherry’s touted as a tourist city but I did not get that impression when I first touched down .. we took a whole round of Pondicherry n back to JIPMER in 40 minutes and I was like “Wow !!IIs that it ?” It was kind of ticklish because I was just coming from Mumbai – the giantess

And it was hot !! On enquiring , my uncle told me “ Pondicherry has 3 climates- hot, hotter and hottest .. In the coming 3 years Id learn how right he was

I was curious about the Aurobindo ashram .. and due to the kindness of my Uncle I was able to explore the Ashram.. the concept of an “Ashram” with fanatics doing rituals behind closed walls dissolved as I was slowly introduced to their ideology,their method of self sustainance, their school and college ,their library, their theatres, dairy , kitchen , nursing home , their land, their community. I was surprised to find myself wanting to be a part of this free society .. even the way they dressed was correct .. shorts and turbans  in this hot weather..

The portraits of Aurobindo and the Mother adorned several  places from restaurants to shops to places of business to schools .. but it was not an oppressive presence ..

What was stunning was their school.. It was out of an Enid Blyton novel or even better … classes of 3 or 4 students dressed in shorts and  t-shirt sitting under an old tree ..discussing … another class sitting on the stairs ..  didactic conversations flowing .. notes from a music class in the background .. white teachers , Indian teachers and students alike .. a marine life museum with creatures  captured with their own hands .. a lot of emphasis  on sports and music and theatre .. and  I later found out it was a no exam system .. Woahh !!! no boards , no degree .. was I dreaming ? Were they dreaming ??

I struggled to find how they survived in this cut throat competitive world that is the Indian system with no certificates in hand .. what was striking was that all students were creative, eloquent, intelligent , well read, free thinkers .. no one had that harrowed suffocated look that I associate with every  Indian student

I was fortunate enough to attend some of their theatre performances and dances and musical concerts .. and I was beyond impressed .. the whole show choreographed by the students with no external help .. from acoustic to lighting to direction .. And I was blown away by their musical prowess and their familiarity with Indian classical music .. I was transported when I heard them playing..   

I think our schools  have a thing or two to learn from them ..

Yes they do have their rules but they  aren’t unreasonable.. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be part of an Ashram

My schedule at hospital allowed me very meager time to observe the ashram ,, but my association with a family related to the ashram gave me several insights and I’m thankful for that .. or id never have known the essence of Pondicherry .. and just dismissed it as another small town with “ nothing to see” as so many others did

It kind of irked me that Pondicherry didn’t have a Hindi or English movie theatre or that almost no one spoke in Hindi … I cribbed about it but really it didn’t bother me much .. I picked up Tamil fairly quickly owing to daily interaction with patients and was able to get around easily.

In first year , I’d just pick up my Activa ( ah , it was my sole companion ) .. go to the Rock beach and sit on the rocks away from the insanities of PG life.. I loved that small stretch of sea… the “no vehicles allowed” rule that gave it a non hurried feel .. I was alone most of the times .. walking ,.. sipping coffee at the “Kofi bar” or  talking to family on the phone .. but was never disturbed .. id zip bak late on my vehicle .. and never felt unsafe .. to me it’s the safest city I’ve lived in … I dint expect anything less as I’ve always associated the people here with simplicity and morality… atleast that’s been my general perception and it has not changed.

And then there wa sAuroville !! …. I’d been introduced to Auroville as a city on the outskirt of Pondy as an International city conceived of by the Mother .. We were not only taken to Matri Mandir , the giant golden orb at the centre .. an architectural delight.. but right into the inner sanctum . a place few people have visited … and again I had my uncle to thank for that .. My parents and I were awed at the beauty and the serenity … I thought I would come back here often .. yet Auroville remained forgotten for a year !!

A year later I was incidentally taken to a café in Auroville by my senior and I was introduced to this lovely forest right in my neighborhood .. I loved the food and I loved this place .. It was a small town set amidst woods with people of all nationalities living together ,..  I knew Id come back several times and I did !

I rediscovered the walk to Matri mandir though I dint go in again .. I looked at the forests  and  I wanted to go deeper.. I discovered cafes that had an Auroville card as currency .. Really !! the barter system at this day and age ? Saw Aurovillians ( most of whom were white folks probably French or from other European countries ) drive around on Lunas or bicycles.. their bakery that had an an amazing assortment of goodies .. just the way I liked em .. and pizzerias that rolled out sour dough pizza bases and baked them in fire wood ovens .. with amazing iced tea.. sheltered from the heat by the foliage … sweet little tables with swarms of people discussing ideas and infusing life into the place.. an unhurried haven .. and again I was reminded of something out of a novel .. the more I visited the more wistful I became for  a life like this .. if only I can work in the mornings and come back to a place like this with friends and family in the evening … just sit back or lay in a hammock n read .. or talk .. not about people but kinds of people and kinds of places and new ideas and literature and art.

The first thing I noticed inside the Visitors center was the huge wind chime tied to the bark of a huge banyan tree .. making the most melodious soul soothing sounds .. never disturbing. The Dreamers café nested inside the visitors center was our one stop for strong filter coffee and masala chai .. the best I’ve tasted .. And again it was a place for thinkers and readers and dreamers and I loved the vibe.. the green foliage giving it shade as it did the entire town.

This was a place that woke up late and shut early .. u cudnt see any lights on after 9 .. so much so that there are no lights on the street .. and everything goes pitch dark .. its pretty awesome ..

I discovered this statement “ To lead a small but worthy life” and that was the beginning of a new whirlwind of thoughts … 

I’v had pretty good times staying in Auroville guesthouses  with my husband, who loved the place just as much .. zipping around on our two wheeler ..  the place holds a lot of romantic memories for me.

Another striking place I was introduced to in Pondicherry was by a friend .. at the Serenity beach.. twin stretches of rock jutting into the sea.. you were met with blasts of air as you approached the sea and splashed you with its unforgiving water … just stand there and fight the force of the wind … and somehow that place was unknown to tourists when I first found it …always thought of it as my own beach spot .. never failed to thrill … and I hope the spot remembers us too…J

Pondicherry .. the city I grew in professionally and personally , fell in love with my husband , and a city that gave me so much food for thought .. theres no question that I will return to it .. probably spend some part of my life in Auroville if the dream remains alive…