Friday 20 March 2015

The sweetness of Southern India circuit (Day 8 late morning) - Around the French quarter, Puducherry - The 18th of February 2015


We then headed to the "former" French quarter (possibly still) said to be based on the French pattern perpendicular street type, where most streets still kept their original French names and villas in typical French architectural styles could be seen.

We stopped by the vibrant yellow French Consulate whose area had been delimited because of threats (though we werent't exactly told what they were about).


We walked into the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, a spiritual hermitage Monastery-type based on the principles of dynamic application of spirituality to material life and all its activities  as in accordance with  Sri Aurobindo Ghose, a  freedom fighter, poet, philosopher and yogi and Mirra Alfassa (known as the Mother), a French follower who later became the leader of the community and whose principles still guide the actual community of believers and followers.


No photographs were allowed in or outside the premises of the compound, which was a heavenly garden-like courtyard, filled with flowers amidst which people could be seen in almost ecstatic attitude. 


















We strolled around the area and the bustling activities of street vendors before heading to the Promenade area we had been to the previous day and the restaurant (a rather cosy and well decorated precious patio) we would be having lunch at.

















The four metre statue of Ghandi surrounded by eight granite pillars said to have been brought from a fort located some 70 kilometres away.
























(detail to be seen at the restaurant garden)









The meal was as good as the surrounding atmosphere, which ended up giving us the necessary "stamina" for the long afternoon  and the 110 kilometre distance ahead, though before leaving Puducherry we still paid a quick visit to the Sri Aurobindo traditional paper factory where we all became speechless while observing the unparallel artistry of the workers (no photos were allowed). 









No comments:

Post a Comment