India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [283]
VISITOR INFORMATION Pondicherry’s helpful Tourism Information Centre (40 Goubert Ave.; 0413/233-9497; fax 0413/233-0532; www.tourism.pondicherry.gov.in; daily 9am–5pm) can help you with maps, brochures, and tour bookings. A good locally based travel agent is Travelmate ( 0413/420-0525;www.thetravelmate.com).
GETTING AROUND By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw Auto-rickshaws prowl the streets in some areas, actively soliciting fares. Overcharging is rife, but if you’ve got several miles to cover, it may be worthwhile to hire one; the minimum charge is Rs 30 for 6km (3 3⁄4 miles). Pondi to Auroville costs around Rs 250 by auto-rickshaw and Rs 350 to Rs 400 by taxi; two recommended taxi operators are Sarvanan ( 94420-68821) and Mr. Anand from Ganapathy Travels ( 94420-66853).
By Bicycle Parts of Pondicherry are immaculate and ideal for exploration by bike. You can rent a bike (Rs 35–Rs 40 per day) from the Pondicherry Tourism Information Centre (see above). Ask about hiring the services of a guide who can cycle along with you. Alternatively, pop into Sri Manonmani Amman Cycle Store ( 98941-72244) on Mission street, opposite the South India Bank, for a wide choice of bicycles and scooters.
GUIDED TOURS Guided tours and sightseeing trips can be arranged through Pondicherry Tourism (see above); Rs 250 for full day bus tour (9:45am-5pm) or Rs 150 for half day. Alternatively you can also pick up a very good Heritage Trail map, with two clearly indicated walks (covering The French Quarter and The Tamil Quarter), and explore at your own pace. Alternatively, for heritage walks with a guide, make direct contact with Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH, 14 Labourdonnais S.; 0413/222-5991 or -7324; www.intach.org; ashokpan@yahoo.com).
INTERESTING DATES Proof of its multicultural roots and current inhabitants are found in Pondi’s annual calendar of important dates: Pongal, a Tamil harvest festival, is celebrated in January, while Masi Mangam, in which deities from 38 temples are taken to the sea for symbolic immersion, followed by their devotees, takes place during full moon over the Feb to March period. Bastille Day in July is the next big event, followed by Sri Aurobindo’s birth anniversary on August 15, and the Fete de Pondicherry August 15 to 17.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
The joy of Pondicherry is the fact that you can do it all on foot, experiencing the wonderful contrast between the French and Tamil quarter. Start by wandering through its tree-lined French Quarter, which developed around the beachfront and Bharathi Park, and is today one of India’s most prepossessing neighborhoods, with wide boulevards, uncluttered roads, bilingual signs, stately government buildings, and gorgeous classical-influenced colonial villas. Then step into another world by crossing the “Grand Canal” aqueduct, into the area the French used to call “black town”—typically Tamil, with tiny shops lining crowded streets, beeping motorbikes and rickshaws, and—at night—an almost carnival atmosphere. The architecture in the Tamil part is also charming, though less obviously so—typical of the state, these are “talking streets”: wall-to-wall intimate and designed for socializing, with interiors usually having several courtyards; the first floor, assuming there is one, tends to show more French colonial influences. Besides strolling the streets and enjoying the peacefulness of the French