Explore India - Pondicherry (Puducheri)

Asia –} India –} Tamilnadu -} Pondicherry – Ref: PDY0003/TN/IND

Pondicherry:

Puducherry (help·info); Tamil: புதுச்சேரி (Putuccēri), French: Pondichéry, English formerly Pondicherry, is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or regions, and named after the largest region, Puducherry. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). Of late, Puducherry is also considered an educational hub of southern India, having 1 central university, 8 medical colleges, 10 engineering colleges, 3 dental colleges, 2 law colleges, 1 veterinary college, 1 agricultural college, 10 arts & science colleges, & 5 polytechnic colleges functioning within its territory. Many medical and engineering colleges including one national institute of technology and a state-owned university are also reported to be in queue.

HISTORY:


Pondicherry helped in the freedom movement in British India since 1910. Sri Aurobindo of Bengal came to Pondicherry in 1910 followed by patriots like Poet Subramanya Bharathi, V.V.C Iyer and others. In 1918, the British demanded the extradition of Sri Aurobindo and other freedom fighters. The French government did not comply with this. Gandhi visited Pondicherry in 1934 and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1939.
With India becoming independent in August 1947, the citizens of French India hoisted the Indian national flag all over the French settlements. The Jaipur session of the Indian National Congress passed a resolution calling for a peaceful merger of Pondicherry with India. The Indo-French agreement of June 1948 was signed, and the French gave freedom to the French Indian population to choose their political status by a referendum. While Chandernagar merged with India on the basis of the referendum, Pondicherry could rejoin its sister city because of its different system and practice of elections. On 23 March 1954, the Nettapakkam and Madukarai areas joined India and a French India Liberation government was set up on 16 May 1954.
Following the understanding reached between the Governments of India and France, the question of the merger of Pondicherry with the Indian Union was referred to the elected representatives of the people for decision in a secret ballot on 18 October 1954; 170 out of 178 elected representatives favored the merger. The de facto transfer of power took place on 1 November 1954; the de jure transfer on 16 August 1962.


INFRASTRUCTURE:

Pondicherry still retains much evidence of its history as a French colony. The design of the city was based on the French (originally Dutch, the plans of Pondicherry dating from the end of the seventeenth century (1693-1694) are preserved in the National Archives at The Hague) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The entire town is divided into two sections, the French Quarter ('Ville Blanche' or 'White town') and the Indian quarter ('Ville Noire' or 'Black Town').

LANDMARKS:

Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India.[citation needed. The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambience.
The most popular tourist destinatins are the four beaches in Puducherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serinity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8km North-West of Puducherry. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century churches in Puducherry as well as a number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade beach such as the Children’s Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governers Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Puducherry Museum, and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.

MUST SEE –

1) AUROVILLE


Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India near Puducherry in South India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Richard (since her definitive settling in India called "(The) Mother") and designed by architect Roger Anger. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.

2) Matrimandir



In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, which has been acclaimed as "an outstanding and original architectural achievement". It was conceived by Alfassa as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection". Silence is maintained inside the Matrimandir to ensure the tranquility of the space and entire area surrounding the Matrimandir is called Peace area. The Peace area in which the structure is situated is characterized by three main features: the Matrimandir itself with its twelve gardens,twelve petals and future lakes, the Amphitheater and the Banyan Tree.
Inside the Matrimandir, a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air- conditioned chamber of polished white marble - "A place to find one's consciousness". At its centre, a 70 cm crystal ball in a gold mount and glow with a single ray of sunlight that is directed on the globe from the top of structure. According to Alfassa, this represents "a symbol of future realisation."

BUS ROUTE from Chennai

There are 19 buses in a day between Chennai and Pondicherry. The timing for the buses are 10:30 PM, 11:00 PM, 09:15 PM, 09:45 PM, 09:45 PM, 01:30 PM, 06:00 AM, 05:45 PM, 05:00 PM, 10:30 PM, 11:30 PM, 11:15 AM, 05:00 PM, 09:25 PM, 10:30 PM, 10:30 PM, 10:30 PM, 11:30 PM, 06:00 AM.

Book your seat online - http://www.onlinebustickets.in/bus-from/chennai-to-pondicherry/

Ticket fare depends on the luxury of the bus. Generally fare starts from US$ 6/- (INR 300/-) upwards.

Hotels and Resorts: http://www.hotelstamilnadu.com/pondicherry.htm

Explore India - Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu

Asia –} India –} Tamilnadu -} Mahabalipuram – Ref: MBP0002/TN/IND

MAHABALIPURAM:

Mahabalipuram (Tamil: மகாபலிபுரம்) also known as Mamallapuram (Tamil: மாமல்லபுரம்) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).
Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

HISTORY:

The temples of Mamallapuram, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The mandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed what makes Mamallapuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. The Shore Temple includes many bas reliefs including one 100 ft. long and 45 ft. high carved out of granite.

LANDMARKS:

The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order. The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art.
It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style. These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ. While excavating Khajuraho Alex Evans a stone mason and sculptor recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandsstone, which is softer than granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. the carving at Mahabalipuram must have required hundreds of highly skilled sculptors.
Some important structures include:

Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea.

Descent of the Ganges - a giant open-air bas relief

Arjuna's Penance - relief sculpture on a massive scale extolling an episode from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata.

Varaha Cave Temple - a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century.

The Shore Temple - a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone.

Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled — each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.

The underwater city:

According to descriptions by early travel writers from Britain, the area near Mahabalipuram had seven pagodas by the sea. Accounts of Mahabalipuram were first written down by British traveller John Goldingham who was told of the "Seven Pagodas" when he visited in 1798.
An ancient port city and parts of a temple built in the 7th century may have been uncovered by the tsunami that resulted from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. As the waves gradually receded, the force of the water removed sand deposits that had covered various rocky structures and revealed carvings of animals, which included an elaborately carved head of an elephant and a horse in flight. A small square-shaped niche with a carved statue of a deity could be seen above the head of the elephant. In another structure, there was a sculpture of a reclining lion. The use of these animal sculptures as decorations is consistent with other decorated walls and temples from the Pallava period in the 7th and 8th centuries.

Travel to this fascinating place….

BUS ROUTE from Chennai

Bus #118 from Chennai to Kalpakkam Via Mahabalipuram
Bus #119 from Chennai to Kalpakkam Via Mahabalipuram
Bus #188 (ECR) from Chennai to Puducherry Via Mahabalipuram
Bus #188 C from Chennai to Cheyyur Via Mahabalipuram
Bus #188 D from Chennai to Anaicut Via Mahabalipuram
Bus #188 K from Chennai to Kadapakkam Via Mahabalipuram

Ticket fare depends on the luxury of the bus, but on an average its US$ 2/- (INR 100/-)

Food:

Dine and Wine that you desire.Everything thats regarded as food is available at Mahabalipuram

Hotels and Resorts:

There are many luxurious hotels available in and around mahabalipuram with world class service guaranteed...check out

http://www.travelmasti.com/mahabalipuram.htm

Explore India - Chennai, Tamilnadu

Asia -}India -} Tamilnadu -} Chennai : Ref code: CHN0001/TN/IND



Chennai (Tamil: சென்னை), formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001 census within the area administered by the Corporation of Chennai. The urban agglomeration of metropolitan Chennai has an estimated population over 8 million people.

Chennai hosts a large cultural event, the annual Madras Music Season, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre scene and is an important centre for the Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form. The Tamil film industry, known as Kollywood, the second largest movie industry in India, is based in the city; the soundtracks of the movies dominate its music scene.

Climate:

Chennai has a tropical climate. The city lies on the thermal equator and is also on the coast, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. The weather is hot and humid, for most of the year. The hottest part of the year is late May to early June, known locally as Agni Nakshatram ("fire star") or as Kathiri Veyyil, with maximum temperatures around 38–42 °C (100–107 °F). The coolest part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F). The lowest temperature recorded is 15.8 °C (60.44 °F) and highest 45 °C (113 °F). The average annual rainfall is about 1,300 mm (51 inches). The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the north-east monsoon winds, from mid-October to mid-December.
Culture:

Chennai is a major centre for music, art and culture in India. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five-week long Music Season celebrating the 1927 opening of the Madras Music Academy. It features performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. An arts festival called the Chennai Sangamam, which showcases various arts of Tamil Nadu is held in January every year. Chennai is also known for Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra, on the beach in the south of the city. Chennai is also home to some of the best choirs in India, who during the Christmas season stage various carol performances across the city in Tamil and English. The Madras Musical Association (MMA) is one of the oldest and prestigious choirs in India and has staged performances across the world.

Transport:

Chennai is well connected to other parts of India by road and rail. Five major national highways radiate outward towards Mumbai, Kolkata, Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), Tiruvallur, Tindivanam and Puducherry (Pondicherry). The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai, is the largest bus station in Asia. Seven government-owned transport corporations operate inter-city and inter-state bus services. Many private inter-city and inter-state bus companies also operate services to and from Chennai.


Traveler’s quick guide:

HOTELS in chennai - URL/Info: http://www.hotelschennai.com

Average tariff range: check-in 1200 hrs to check-out next day 1200 hrs (24 hrs)

OPTION 1: 5 Star hotels: USD 120/- (INR 6,000/-) to USD 400 (INR 20,000/-)
OPTION 2: 3-4 Star hotels: USD 60 (INR 3,000/-) to USD 120/- (INR 6,000)
OPTION 3: Economy hotels:USD 30/- (INR 1,500) to USD 50/- (INR 2,500)

HISTORY/ HERITAGE
Chennai boasts of a long history from ancient South Indian empires through colonialism to its evolution in the 20th century as a services and manufacturing hub. Listed below are some of the Historical places in and around Chennai.

Fort St. George:
One of the most famous tourist destinations of Chennai is Fort St. George. Built in 1640 AD, by the British East India Company under the direct supervision of Francis Day and Andrew Cogon, it achieved its name from Saint George, the patron saint of England. The fort also houses Saint Mary's Church the oldest Anglican Church built in 1680.

War Memorial Hall
The War Memorial Hall is a circular rock and marble structure built in memory of those who laid down their lives for the country's honour during World War I. The hall is situated on Beach Road near Island Grounds.

Birla Planetarium
The Birla Planetarium at Kottupuram is one of the modern planetariums of the world. One can enjoy shows on themes ranging from astronomy- twinkling stars, meteoroids, comets, constellations, rotating solar system and other cosmic events.

Fort Museum
Located in Fort St. George, the Fort Museum has 10 rooms displaying the documents of Indian History. The collection includes old uniforms, padlocks, old prints, coins and palanquins. The banquet hall has a collection of paintings of the governors and officials of the British regime.

Marina Beach
Marina Beach is the second longest beach in the world with a stretch of 4.5 km (2.5 miles). Visitors can take long walks along the beach or spend evenings by eating crispy sundal and murkku.

Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society founded by Madame Blavatsky and Col. Olott sin USA is situated amidst the beautiful sylvan settings in Adyar. The society encourages the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science. It also houses a 95 year old library which has a rare collection of Oriental manuscripts written on palm leaves and parchment.

Valluvar Kottam
Valluvar Kottam is a memorial dedicated to poet-saint Tiruvalluvar. The temple is a replica of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur. The statue of the saint is 33m tall.

Kalakshetra
Tamil Nadu is known for the love of music and dance. Established in 1936, Kalakshetra is a pioneer institute for classical dance, fine arts and music. A festival is organized at the end of each year.

SPIRITUAL
Spirituality and mystical charm have always drawn people from all over the world to India. The traditional Indian way of life has helped in the evolution and growth of Spiritualism. Numerous cultures and religions have thrived and flourished together for ages and resulted into the unique Indian way of life. Arts like Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda coupled with religion have played an important role in the evolution and existence of spirituality in India.
Listed below are some of the Spiritual practices followed in India.

Yoga: Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
See http://www.bksiyengar.com for more information.

Meditation: Meditation means insight into the nature of reality. It is a way of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection.
See http://www.dhamma.org for more information.

Vipassana Research institute: Tirumudivakkam, Near Pallavaram - 28 Kms drive from Central Chennai.

DISCOVER MORE

FOOD: Chennai is known for delicious and spicy food. It has over 100’s of verities to choose from. You can stay rest assured to get everything that you eat back home. May it be, intercontinental, Chinese, Thai, Mughal or typical south Indian.

AFTER SUNSET: Night life in chennai has evolved to rock over the last 5 Yrs. People are very adoptive to the western way of living - earn for the week and spend on the weekend. There many appealing clubs and pubs in chennai, usually serving all kinds of beverages upto 1AM. Unleash the dancer inside you at some of the best clubs of chennai.

Mr. Realist Speaks

We all are travellers ever since we are born. Initially as a child, we travel from one hand to another. We grow with an anticipation to walk as we see people around us walking; here we begin our second phase of journey. We walk, we talk and thus we keep discovering, learning new ways of living. Such is the mind of a true traveller, which migrates constantly in anticipation of new world – UNSEEN.