A Day Trip to Pondicherry - Great Photos That I Hope YOu Enjoy

I am here in the Auroville area until Dec. 25th and then I am moving on for the remainder of my stay in India to Thiruvannamalai the place of the holy mountain Arunachala and the ashram of Shri Ramana Maharshi. Yes my time abroad is drawing to an end and I will be back stateside mid-January.

Today I visited Pondicherry a seaside city which is just a little south of Auroville. It is a city of strong French influence. It still has close ties to France and you can read here if interested in the details.

The main purpose of my visit was to visit the original ashram and Samadhi Shrine of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother-the inspirations for the city of Auroville that I am enjoying currently.

No photos were allowed inside so here is a photo of a postcard. It looked just like this today only you need to add about 50-75 people meditating and kneeling in prayer around the shrine...

This photo captures the ambience of the French part of the city that is called White Town. This is the government building called Raj Niwas.

There is a wonderful seaside promenade with refreshing breezes. On this east side of the country it is the Bay of Bengal that washes the shores.

The long and beautiful seaside promenade.

Old lighthouse along the promenade.

A monument to the Indian soldiers who fought 

on the side of the French in World War I

Rock Beach with tumultuous waves

A monument to Dr. Ambedkar who wrote the India Constitution.

More of the beautiful white buildings of Pondicherry

It was fascinating to watch the ladies in saris as they walked the promenade with their saris billowing in the wind. 

Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi on the Promenade

I watched this middle-aged couple on motorcycle catch a selfie in front of the Gandhi Monument

This wall art on the way was very creative: 

Plan BE : be yourself! (There is no Plan A)

This manikin of a French Gendarme inside a booth is amusing . Maybe at one time a live person stood inside before the help lines were established.

 I paused to watch these two crows have it out 
in front of the War Memorial

I visited the Pondicherry History Museum and no photos were allowed inside. The inside featured old French furnishings from the 1700's and archaeological findings from the time that this area was trading with the Romans. Outside in the courtyard there were statues of Hindu Gods dating back to the first few centuries AD

I visited Our Lady of Angels Church. A crow was cawing "Ma, Ma, Ma' somewhere in the rafters and hovering around me was an Indian beggar woman imploring to me "Ma, Ma, Ma" with her hands open for money. Interesting moment!

Outside the church a shrine to Mother Teresa

In the center of the White Town there is a great city park called Bharati Park. Many people were having picnics. My favorite part was the many stone sculptures of indigenous species the the area. 

I also visited a Science Center and my taxi driver cum guide snapped this photo of me in an optical illusion exhibit.

Last but not least - a lone Santa in front of a department store is the only brief nod to the Christmas season seen all day.