‘A spin around the town’

My parents and I are allocentric tourists, redefining our own itinerary and plans on holiday. This time my dad, an avid driver, suggested taking a self-drive holiday to Puducherry. I was also very eager to jump on one foot and experience this surreal drive on holiday to a former French colony. Our first halt was at the outskirts of Bangalore. The following morning, we started for Chennai. I experienced a rich warm December evening with Carnatic music in Narada Gana Sabha as it was the Tamil month of Margazhi. Shopping at the massive Saravana stores at T-Nagar was quite a hassle. We drove through the Marina beach which is considered to be the second longest beach in the world and witnessed the heritage Senate house building and Chepauk palace, a fine example of Indo-Saracenic style.

We took the picturesque East Coast Road route to Puducherry, visiting Madras’s crocodile bank trust on the way. The next stop was the Krishna’s Butterball in Mahabalipuram, a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline, quite a gravity deceiving marvel.

Post that we visited the progressive and harmonious town of Auroville. An idyllic town where we saw a beautiful golden dome-shaped Matrimandir, had a cup of kombucha, and had a good conversation over a scrumptious vegan feast. The place attracts loads of international tourists from different backgrounds and faiths.

We were running late for our stay at the Seaside guest house in white town. This place was facing the promenade and the road was closed for traffic post 6 pm. Ferrying luggage from the place, we parked the car which was a task but built a good appetite for our meal at the quaint restaurant of Villa Shanti. My mom's bequeathal for heritage places took us to Le Dupleix, once the residence of the mayor of Puducherry. Skipping an afternoon siesta, we walked around and saw the French grid pattern in Puducherry, it was such a treat to the eyes. In the evening time at the promenade, we also saw Park Monument, a replica of Arc de Triomphe.

I also rejoiced in my visit to Chunnambar beach to catch up on a glimpse of traditional fishing. This town, rightly known as “French Riviera of East” is where Bastille day is still celebrated, is surely a must visit sojourn.