When you travel to a new city, you don’t have to see everything. You don’t have to always be moving. You need less than 48 hours to encapsulate the essence of the city and become one with it or you could stay there for months, even years and still not learn to appreciate it enough. I say 48 hours because that’s exactly how long I spent in Pondicherry. The planning was as much about how I wanted to feel as where I wanted to go–to flow with time and see where it might take me.
I knew that for beach lovers, food fanatics and croissant l’amant, Pondicherry is an assault on the senses. I got off the car after a three hour drive from Chennai feeling so full and loved having lived at my grandparents’ for over a week. We hopped off at Auroville and turned out to be one of the first few people to get there. I checked my phone– it was 7:15 am. We were unfashionably early, even for a place like Auroville and were greeted by just a watchman and a coconut water seller at the gate.
1. Rent a cycle to explore Auroville
Let yourself be transported to the most magical place! Auroville is an experimental town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. You need to spend some time there to understand their values and ethos. Once you do, the place and people easily grow on you. One of my favourite parts of the trip was reading Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri with the local literary group. The classroom setup was so calming that it made me want to go back to school all over again!
2. Explore White town
Ironically, this area of the city was quite literally bursting with colour. "White Town '' is the French Quarters in Pondicherry primarily with the French families still living there and the houses being converted into heritage hotels, restaurants and art galleries. It’s a very well-planned, clean laid out area with trees providing a continuous shade and buildings dominated with pale yellow colour. Whilst walking around, don’t miss the traditional chettinad houses with gorgeous thinnais.
3. Sunrise at Goubert market
I love visiting markets at sunrise and Goubert was no exception. From florists to vegetable vendors, the market buzzes with life 4am onwards. It’s a great spot for photography, to meet and interact with the locals, to get to know their culture better.
4. Cafe hopping
It may have been the French that put Pondi on the food map, however the streets are filled with interesting, delicious places to dine that make not just croissants and Café au Laits. On the first day, we plucked fresh veggies from the farm and cooked a farm-to-table brunch which was so lovely (Still thinking about that Jackfruit juice!) at Solitude Farm. The next day, I did a juice-only fast with a few Aurovillians. It’d be wrong if I didn’t mention the delicious vegan Gelato that I had at the Auroville Gelato factory! Chikoo and Pink Guava complement each other like pieces of a puzzle. It has been hard to narrow the selection down but we wouldn’t go to Pondi without a visit to Solitude Farm, Naturellement Garden cafe, Cafe des arts and Gelateria Montecatini Terme.
Forget Italy, Pondicherry is whipping up some of the best vegan gelatos we have ever tasted.
5. Read
Not all places offer a conducive environment to reading. You can read at the foothills of Primrose Hill but not at Bandra bandstand. See what I mean? Pondicherry is a city of writers, for writers. You can’t go to Pondi and not read anything. Click for my recommendations: https://bit.ly/3r81rPK
6. Take a dip at Promenade beach
All days would be better if they began with a swim and a warm cup of lemon and mint tea. And in Pondi, especially if you go there during summer, there’s no better place to unwind than the sea. It is fuzzy, warm and just what you need after a long day of gallivanting. Don’t forget to carry your most chic swimsuit!
PONDICHERRY MIX: A GOOD VIBE STATE OF MIND
On our first night in Pondi, we were invited to a bonfire meditation party hosted by a bunch of Aurovillians. It was one of those nights that was close to perfect, the music was joyful and everyone danced through the night. Inspired by this night and reminded of how good it feels to dance with your new friends, I’ve curated the ultimate mixtape for dancing - just as appropriate for late summer gathering as it is for a long drive.