Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TRAIN
Puducherry station has only a few services. Two daily trains run to Chennai Egmore, with
unreserved seating only (?28 to ?53, four to five hours). You can connect at Villupuram,
38km west of Puducherry, for many more services north and south. Puducherry station has
a computerised booking office for trains throughout India.
Getting Around
One of the best ways to get around Pondy's flat streets is by walking. Autorickshaws are
plentiful. Official metered fares are ?20 for up to 2km and ?1 for each further 100m,
which should mean ?25 maximum from bus stand to French Quarter. If drivers refuse to
use their meters, you'll probably have to pay ?50 or ?60 for that trip.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Auroville
0413 / POP 2249
Auroville is one of those ideas that anyone with idealistic leanings will love: an interna-
tional community dedicated to peace, harmony, sustainable living and 'divine conscious-
ness', where people from around the globe, ignoring creed, colour and nationality, work
together to build a universal, cash-free, non-religious township and realise good old hu-
man unity.
Making reality out of such a dream would never be easy. Imagine over 100 small settle-
ments scattered across an area of Tamil countryside, with 2100 residents of more than 40
nationalities. Nearly 60% of Aurovillians are foreign, and most new members require
more funds than most Indians are ever likely to have. Outside opinions of Auroville's in-
habitants range from admiration to accusations of self-indulgent escapism. But the vibe
you will receive on a visit is likely to be positive, and the energy driving the place is palp-
able.
Some 12km northwest of downtown Puducherry, Auroville was founded in 1968 on the
inspiration of 'the Mother', co-founder of Puducherry's Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and her
philosophy still guides it. Aurovillians run a huge variety of projects ranging from schools
and IT to organic farming, renewable energy and handicrafts production, and they employ
at least 4000 people from nearby villages.
