Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Let's get something clear: if you came to Puducherry (formerly called Pondicherry and al-
most always referred to as 'Pondy') expecting a Provençal village on the Bay of Bengal,
you're in for a disappointment,
mon ami
. Pondy is South India: honk-roar-haggle-honk
South India. That said, the older part of this former French colony (where you'll probably
spend most of your time) does have a lot of quiet, clean, shady, cobbled streets, lined with
mustard-yellow colonial townhouses numbered in an almost logical manner. In fact, if
you've come from Chennai or some of the inland cities, old Pondy may well seem a sea of
tranquillity.
Puducherry was under French rule until 1954 and some people here still speak French
(and English with French accents). Hotels, restaurants and 'lifestyle' shops sell a seduct-
ive vision of the French-subcontinental aesthetic, enhanced by Gallic creative types whose
presence has in turn attracted Indian artists and designers. Thus Pondy's vibe: less faded
colonial-era
ville,
more a bohemian-chic, New Age-cum-Old World node on the interna-
tional travel trail. Part of the vibe stems from the presence of the internationally famous
Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot just out of town, Auroville. These draw large num-
bers of spiritually minded visitors and are responsible for a lot of the creative artisanry.
Enjoy the shopping, the French food (hello steak!), the beer (goodbye Tamil Nadu alcohol
taxes - Pondy is a Union Territory), the sea air and, if you like, some yoga and meditation.
Puducherry is split from north to south by a partially covered canal. The more 'French'
part of town is on the east side (towards the sea). Nehru (JN) St and Lal Bahadur Shastri
St (better known as Rue Bussy) are the main east-west streets; Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Rd
and Mission St (Cathedral St) are the chief north-south thoroughfares. Many streets
change names as they go along and may also have English, French and Tamil names all at
the same time.
