Travel Story: Puducherry — A Cocktail of Cultures

– by Nandini Dash

A tourist spot which is global yet not that prominent, Puducherry has more than one thing to attract both international and national travellers.

‘Puducherry’ — a cocktail of spirituality, political archive, and sightseers.

‘Puducherry’, well known by its former name ‘Pondicherry’, is a hub of meditators at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, full of wisdom inspired by Sri Aurobindo and Sri Ma (Mirra Alfassa), the spiritual companion of Aurobindo, popularly mentioned as ‘The Mother’.

For a seeker of spirituality, the first sip of deep study of life can be found at the memorial of Aurobindo. Punctual and active management members are there to maintain silence. It is the best environment to meditate and pray.

One can see people of several languages, skin colours, both eastern and western, visiting and meditating.

The Aurobindo Trust sells books on the insights of Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, and epic ancient Indian values of the Vedas. Books are available in English, French, Spanish, and many Indian languages such as Tamil, Oriya, Bengali, etc. There is a special book store, ‘Netaji Book Store’, which sells books only in English and French.

French Connections and Political History

All these French connections drive inquisitive minds to another ingredient of the cocktail of Puducherry — its political history, though not much talked about or used as soft power. For knowledge seekers, it is a field to explore and create new opportunities.

The diversity is visible in the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, French Governor Joseph-François Dupleix, the effigy of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and murals of Babasaheb Ambedkar with other dignitaries.

Plurality of Puducherry lies in the fact that spiritual guru Sri Aurobindo came from West Bengal to this southern land, then ‘Pondicherry’, and his spiritual associate ‘The Mother’ was a French lady. Neither language nor nationality limited Pondicherry from being a cocktail of life lessons. Yet this message is not always clear to travellers who wish to experience the place.

In fact, Puducherry’s French connection dates back to 1674. Until November 1, 1954, Pondicherry remained under French rule even after India gained independence from the British in 1947.

Today, Puducherry is a Union Territory of India, run by elected legislators and a Chief Minister, sharing power with a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the central government.

Interestingly, the Secretariat of Puducherry is located at the sea beach, with the French Consulate in its backyard. The consulate still maintains its old-style architecture, which is engrossing too.

Opportunities for Tourism

Both the French and Puducherry governments can do more to spotlight the multicultural identity of Puducherry.

• The sea beach can be developed for water sports to attract adventurous tourists.
• Multicultural shows at the beach, with authentic cuisines of France, Tamil Nadu, and other parts of India and the world, can be served.
• Improvements in small-town infrastructure and cleanliness would fascinate tourists, encouraging them to interact and spend more time with locals.

Such improvements will attract more stay-at-home visitors and students, adding to the economy and increasing the multiculturalism of Puducherry.

Author’s Introduction