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The French connection

Lalitha Sridhar

The weather is fine and you feel the need to take time off from the mechanics of city life to commune with your better-half and a better you. A weekend getaway adds considerably to the spontaneity of a happy holiday and comes with the added freebie of not having to worry too much about bookings and waiting lists.

A trip to picturesque Pondicherry can be perfect -- just four relaxed hours of driving out of Chennai, it could top the potential list of small escapes simply because it offers something for everybody -- be it the spiritual seeker or the cool customer.

Hit the road first thing in the morning, leave behind the congested Kottivakkam and nouveau riche Neelangarai to halt at one of Mahabalipuram's many motels for some food and thought -- time enough for a little sun, sand, stone temples and even shopping, if you are so inclined.

Onwards bound on the increasingly winding East Coast Road, you get to marvel at the sea giving you company most of the way -- you could almost convince yourself you are on a highway to happiness considering there is little else crowding the picture (barring the occasional superfast Sumo which doesn't believe the journey can be as much fun as the destination).

Tender coconut on sale, strung in bunches from trees lining the road, make a rather enjoyable ecological advert. They will be about the only distraction on an otherwise breezy, green and well-endowed stretch (barring the blind curves and sile nt bends -- this is not at all a road for rash-driving and a day haul is highly recommended -- should your vehicle decide to take a break you could be walking miles looking for the nearest help). Stop by and take in some of the natural coolant ( priced at a very affordable Rs 4-5) with `nungu' and jackfruit making able appetisers too.

It will be atleast noon (assuming that you have made a few stops en route) by the time `Pondy' appears on the horizon and there will be time enough for a post-lunch siesta once you are checked into one of the many hotels (accommodation is availabl e across all budgets from lodges managed by the Aurobindo Ashram to your average deluxe double-bed facilities and since the city itself is commutable to all corners by cycles -- a common mode of conveyance -- you will never be far away fro m any place which counts). If you intend to stay only for a day, you would have to specifically plan your trip to the unique international community of Auroville with its famous Matri Mandir, for they offer conducted tours of their campus only once a day -- reporting time 3.30 p.m. outside their main gate.

Other places worth a visit are the popular Manakula Vinayakar temple, the ancient Shiva temple at Villiannur (which has some very friendly ducks in its tank and a mini-zoo around its `praharam' much to the delight of the little travelle rs), the floral (you even get to see blooming orchids) quietude of the Aurobindo Ashram, the 18th-century Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, the open-to-visitors Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory, the niche souvenir stores which sell everything from spiritual literature to handmade paper, the Indian heritage craft shops lining the central Jawaharlal Nehru Road so obviously catering to the moneyed foreigners, the French Quarter with its neatly spaced out, geometrically parallel roads and white, well-preserved colonial architecture, the Governor's bungalow where the ceremonial bugle dress-parade changes guards every evening at six sharp, the expansive gardens opposite that majestic mansion and the l ong, very walkable (a no-vehicle zone) waterfront where the wind whips up a merry mood.

Food too comes catered to all tastes though the simple `thali' at old Jalaram's, off Jawaharlal Nehru Road, is recommended for its special taste of clean, home-cooked Gujarathi khana, while Honeydews, on the same main road, could provide you wi th fresh snacks, juices and desserts from a very reasonable rate card.

A stay at the otherwise promising Pondy would be incomplete without referring to the Pondicherry Tourism's campaign which would have us believe it's God's (and the Indian Tourism Department's) answer to the magic of Mauritius. Nothing could be further from the truth (other than, of course, the ads themselves). The Paradise Beach Property, they extoll for those inclined towards boating and adventure tourism (nights under the moon `n' stars up on a rustic tree house), is nothing short of a health hazard -- if you don't come down with malaria (a miracle that would be, considering the number of mosquitoes), you would sink in one of their dilapidated boats (if you are able to find someone to helm that contraption, that is -- though while you wait in the deserted premises you get to wonder whether the frayed ropes up to one of those touted tree houses would support your weight or what you would do if you needed to use the loo since those available are best left `unmentionable').

Pondicherry is worth a visit -- but more inspite of the ads which only serve to lead you to the (high blood) pressure you wanted to escape. Go with your eyes open. And you won't be disappointed.

Fact file

How to get there

By air: The nearest airport is Chennai, connected by a frequent bus service with the distance covered in less than four hours.

By road: Regular buses, some of them luxury and most of them point-to-point, ply on both routes to Pondicherry -- one via Tindivanam on NH7 and the other via the East Coast Road. The first route is about 160 km, while the second (140 km) is a scenic driv e that passes though Marakkanam and Pondicherry University. Buses also ply to other major towns within Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry can be an ideal breakfast or lunch-stop if you are driving further down South.

Where to stay: Budget and luxury hotels are available and it is not too difficult to find accommodation on short notice. And for those who enjoy a drink, Pondicherry offers a wide variety to choose from.

Where to go: The Pondicherry Tourism office at Goubert Avenue on the Beach Road (Ph: 339497) provides information related to sight-seeing and stay, besides organising half-day conducted tours. Although autorickshaws can be had after some haggling, the be st way to look around would be to cycle (plenty of shops which hire them out around Mission Street and MG Road) or better still, simply walk.

Pic.: Matri Mandir at Auroville, near Pondicherry

Picture by Bijoy Ghosh