PONDICHERRY
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FAST FACTS
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INTRODUCTION
Pondicherry is a union territory
which lies within the state of Tamil Nadu.The inherent ambience of
Pondicherry becomes most evident in the oldest part of the town which flanks
the seashore boulevard.
Quiet beaches and peaceful resorts to the north and south balance the town's bustling, yet easy going life. But Pondy hasn't only its own special attractions to offer. It is a perfect base to explore the rich destinations around it, even in daily trips: Auroville, the international City of Unity; the imposing Gingee Fort, the holy temple towns of Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Chidambaram, the heritage sculptures and magnificent rock temples of Mamallapuram, and the cool and lush hill stations of Yercaud and Kodaikanal. Places to visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram Established by Sri Aurobindo, a revolutionary turned poet, and later developed by the Mother, a Paris-born painter musician who became Sri Aurobindo's disciple and close companion, the Ashram has grown into a centre for the practice of Integral Yoga, a seat of learning and a training ground for sadhana. In the main building of the Ashram is the Marble Samadhi where Aurobindo and the Mother have been laid to rest. Promenade The 1.5 km long promenade running along the beach is the pride of Pondicherry. On the sea front are several landmarks: the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Jeanne d'Arc and Dupleix, the elegant war memorial raised by the French, the heritage building Mairie, the 27 metre tall old lighthouse, the circular shaped two storied structures on either side of Gandhi maidan. The Pondicherry Museum The Museum brings back memories of the glorious past of Pondicherry, from the days of the pre-Christian era down to the present day, providing glimpses of the art and culture of the people of this region during the Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagar days. Artefacts from the excavations at Arikamedu can be viewed here. Auroville
Located 10 kms north of Pondicherry, Auroville is described as "the City of Tomorrow". Auroville was envisioned as a Universal Town, where people from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs, can live in peace and harmony. Here, an attempt is being made to replicate, on much larger scale, the experiment being carried out in Sri Aurobindo Ashram for the evolution of a new society as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. This society would be one where people "live freely as citizens of the world, obeying one single authority - that of the Supreme Truth ... a place of peace, concord, harmony". The construction of Auroville was started in 1968, under the Mother's direction. Several countries have set up pavilions here. The Botanical Garden The Botanical Garden in Pondicherry was created in 1826. When the garden came under the control of the eminent botanist Perottet "rare and interesting plants" were procured from Calcutta, Madras, Ceylon and Reumian. Its' collection numbers 1500 species. Temples There are about 32 temples in Pondicherry. Of these, Manakula Vinayagar temple, Sri Vedapureeswarar temple, Kamatchiammalle temple and Varadarajaperumal temple are famous. The Gokilambal Thirukameswarar Temple is architecturally the best. A rath yatra (temple car procession) takes place in May/June. Churches French missionary zeal in the XVII and XVIII Centuries saw a number of grandly embellished churches built in Pondicherry. The Church of the Capuchins was the first one built and the old only one to survive the destruction of the town in 1761. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built in 1791 has interesting ornamental features. The Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus (has excellent stained glass windows), the Cathedral, the Eglise de Notre Dame A'es Angles are particularly noteworthy. Anglo-French textile mills This mill, established over 100 years ago, is still functioning and an ideal place to buy souvenirs and gifts. Mansion of Ananda Rangapillai He was a courtier of the French Governor, Dupleix, and the mansion is a fine specimen of Indo-French architecture. Chunnambar Water Sports Centre Facilities for boating are available at the Boat House on the River Chunnambar, 8 kms from Pondicherry. The backwater and the lush greenery on both sides of Chunnambar provide an ideal setting. Boats are available on hire on all days of the week. Places u can’t missAurovilleAuroville was planned as an international experimental township; Auroville was inspired by the evolutionary vision of Sri Aurobindo and founded by Mirra Alfassa, known as the "Mother".
Auroville was inaugurated on February 28, 1968 in a ceremony attended by representatives from 124 nations and all the states of India. In a gesture symbolic of human unity, a boy and a girl from each nation and state poured a handful of soil from their homeland into a lotus-shaped marble urn near the center of the city-to-be. Auroville has been endorsed by three resolutions of the UNESCO general assembly and recognized as an international trust by a unique Parliamentary Act of the Indian Government. Auroville welcomes people from all parts of the world to live together and explore cultural, educational, scientific, spiritual, and other pursuits in accordance with the Auroville Charter. Auroville - a Dream There should be somewhere upon earth a place that no nation could claim as its sole property, a place where all beings of goodwill, sincere in their aspiration, could live freely as citizens of the world, obeying one single authority, that of the supreme Truth; a place of peace, concord, harmony, where all the fighting instincts of man would be used exclusively to conquer the causes of his suffering and misery, to surmount his weakness and ignorance, to triumph over his limitations and incapacities; a place where the needs of the spirit and the care for progress would get precedence over the satisfaction of desires and passions, the seeking for pleasures and material enjoyments. Work would not be there as the means of gaining one's livelihood, it would be the means whereby to express oneself, develop one's capacities and possibilities, while doing at the same time service to the whole group, which on its side would provide for each one's subsistence and for the field of his work. In brief, it would be a place where the relations among human beings, usually based almost exclusively upon competition and strife, would be replaced by relations of emulation for doing better, for collaboration, relations of real brotherhood. -- The Mother
Auroville Charter
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Sri Aurobindo came to Pondicherry in 1910, he lived at first with a few associates from the political field. Afterwards a few more joined him and there slowly developed spiritual relations between these young men and Sri Aurobindo. When the Mother returned to Pondicherry on 24 April 1920, the number of disciples began to increase rapidly, and as the Ashram thus began to take shape, it fell to the Mother to organize it. When in 1926, Sri Aurobindo retired into seclusion to pursue his yogic sadhana, the whole material and spiritual charge of the Ashram was assumed by the Mother. Under her guidance, the Ashram grew into a large diversified community with almost 1200 members. Including the 400 students of the Centre of Education and the hundreds of devotees who live nearby, the community as a whole consists of more than 2000 people. The dynamic character of the community reflects the life-affirming aim of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. Work as an offering to the Divine is an essential aspect of the Yoga, and Ashramites do some useful work every day in the various departments. In the sadhana or spiritual discipline at the Ashram, there are no obligatory practices, no rituals, no compulsory meditations or systematic instructions in Yoga. Each sadhak is left free to determine the course and pace of his sadhana in accordance with his nature. But the general principle of the sadhana is the same for all: there must be surrender to the Divine and an opening to the Divine Force so that it may work to transform one's being. The Ashram provides its members with all they need for a decent and healthy life. Various departments have been organised to look after the basic requirements of food, clothing and shelter, as well as medical care. The Ashram has farms and gardens, a printing press and a number of small-scale industries. There are also libraries for study and facilities for a variety of cultural pursuits. The Ashram is administered by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.
The Union Territory (UT) of Pondicherry is irrefutably striving to carve its name as a tourism destination with prodigious potential. Through its 'Frenchness', its spirituality and heritage sites, Pondicherry has been able to intrigue visitors but it has a long way to go. However, eco-tourism is on the verge of making its debut, but the expanse is restrictive. Eco-tourism as the term suggest involves conserving nature in its entirety and taking a cue Pondicherry is undertaking a number of initiatives like focusing on aspects like spirituality and yoga. The challenges and hurdles faced by the UT are nothing peculiar to any Public Sector Undertaking - a lack of professionalism and discipline - and a commercial orientation to work. The challenge is to stay relevant in a field where the public sector is increasingly seen as an anachronism. The UT has realised that it is time to reinvent a new way of doing business with private sector participation, and to be profitable and creative. Plans are being initiated to lay out a sustainable tourism formula ensuring involvement of local people and without degrading bio-diversity. Spirituality will also be exploited in this pursuit. If the agenda is streamlined and realised, Pondicherry could carve a niche of its own by isolating itself away from wilderness to the serenity of eco-friendliness through spirituality. This is necessary as a concept like eco-tourism is fast catching up on the world scenario and Indian states need to gear themselves for the future.
The ethereal resonance is apparent in Pondicherry. The aura of calmness silently delves the interiors unconsciously to unleash a world of self-exploration and realisation. The elegance of simplicity, the cultural eliteness and condensed cosmopolitan milieu shapes the realisation into spontaneity and diversity; a rare blend that lives everyday in Pondicherry. Pondicherry means 'New Town' in Tamil. It has survived through time and change, and is as complex and interesting as much larger places. Tourism has always been an important activity in Pondicherry, but there was no conscious marketing effort until 1999. Very little was done in international marketing despite Pondicherry's international linkages. However, since 1999, the UT organised systematic advertisement campaigns with focussed strategies domestically, emphasizing peace, lack of stress and timelessness. This saw almost immediate dividends with domestic arrivals going up to 11.2 per cent in 1999 from the previous year and 16.6 per cent in 2000. Tourist arrivals at over five lakh people each year, amounts to over 50 per cent of the Union Territory's population. Eco-tourism was never exploited until recently when the UT seemed to be looking for other sources by which they could attract more tourists into the land. With spirituality and yoga having established itself the world over, the UT has now initiated plans to use the trend in the form of sustainable tourism. Eco-Initiatives
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