The Tour
Old French colony located along a white sand beach, bathed by water of the Bay of Bengal, the town of Pondichérry was developed by the French Governor François Martin. The streets are cut to right angles, which is rare in India, and still bear their French names.
The existence of the city goes up very far, to the times vedic, when it was called Vedapuri and which large wise Agastya lived there. In year 900, a university of Sanskrit (the crowned language in which the Vedas are written.) here was of immense importance.
Of a flanery in the streets of this "white city", at the Museum there are some pieces of furniture and objects of the colonial time preserved .The French College, The French School of Far East, the Church Our Lady of the Angels, the workshop of embroidery , the monument dedicated to Gandhi at the edge of the sea, and the statue of Lord Dupleix are worth visiting.
It is pleasant to stroll at the end of the day on the walk in edge of sea. Many Pondichéryens also come there to take the expenses.
In the last few decades, Pondichéry has been especially known for the ashram of Shri Aurobindo .Shri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950 ), a bengali poet and philosopher , was a very active political leader in the nationalist movement in India at the beginning of the century. From 1910, he stayed permanently at Pondichery, thus escaping the risks of imprisonment . He wrote various works, which were well recieved universally , especially those related to spirituality.He made an ashram in 1926 which was devoted to the spiritual field, its goal being to help the man towards his realization / salvation through Yoga.
Reveren Alfassa (called "the Mother"), took an active part in his activities and after his death ,she ensured the continuity of the activities of the ashram and concretely continued his work of synthesis between spirituality and the everyday life. Shri Aurobindo is buried in this ashram, as well as the Mother. Many disciples from all over the world come here in search of self realisation .
A French architect , Roger Anger, conceived the futuristic plans of Auroville ,the ashram , though it could not be completed due to the death of the Mother in 1973.
Downtown, one can also visit some Hindu temples, in particular the very famous temple of Ganesh, known as Manakula Vinayaka. Its architecture is unspecified, also the principal interest of the visit lies it in the murals which illustrate the multiple forms of Ganesh.
Chidambaram
Citadel of the shivaïsm, great philosophical center under the dynasty of Pallava, Chidambaram was one of the capitals of the Chola Dynasty .
One can visit the large temple of Shiva Nâtarâja, the god whose crowned dance creates and destroys the worlds permanently. It is a vast religious city encloses by several walls enclosing surmounted tops.; gopuram.
Tiruvannamalai
In the mediums
of Hindu spirituality, this locality at some 120 km to the
west of Pondichery, is famous for the ashram of Shri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
and the crowned mountain of Arunachala. The ashram indeed receives many visitors,
including one good part of Westerners even after 50 years since
the departure of the Guru .
The mountain of Arunachala, a large hill from which the climbing begins as of the exit from the ashram, has since years , sheltered hermits. A pilgrimage for the Hindus there.
Gingee
On the road between Pondichery and Tiruvannamalai, a stop at the imposing site of Gingee, is recommended .
It is about a military fortress perched on a escarpé rock piton. This fortress played a significant role in the 17th and 18th centuries in the fights of Marathes against the Muslim coalitions then and , later, in the military campaigns that French carried out for the possession of this area.