Weekend at Pondicherry: Part 2

The next day was touristy. We visited the markets of Pondicherry. We visited Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville. In Auroville, I found the food there is preposterous in price. I couldn’t help but notice the stereotyping of Indian culture. There are shops that sell exotic incense sticks and handmade soaps. The spices, the khadi shirts with ancient scripts such as ‘Om’ written on them with the aroma of perfumes added to it. I felt sad when I saw foreigners buying those things in the little ‘bamboo baskets’. I don’t know if they were really made of bamboo or just plastic coated. But it felt superficial. I felt sad that people visiting India will carry this stereotypical image of spices, aromas and khadi with them when they go back. Those people  might never see the real India. Then they will write about their trip to India and the spiritual uplifting they felt because of this trip. Finally, some guy in India will read it and think if someone with white skin is saying this, he/she must be right. And then he/ she will go to such places to seek spiritual peace. This is what British Rule has done to us. Indian people still think of white skin as something to seek . They think white is good. They want to mimic the British view of Indians. The beauty products in India advertise the skin becoming fair when you use such and such product. This is one of the side effects of British Raj. Our conception of beauty has significantly changed. And the western world is still not ready to accept that Indian people do not travel on elephants! There are two images of India in the western world that I know of. Most of the people think that we come from some exotic place, we travel on elephants and our food is spicy. Many think that we live in a shit hole, are corrupt and seriously need help. I reject both of them. And on top of this, what creeps me out more is Indian people behaving the same way around foreigners. I think we have lost our self esteem because of 300 years of rule under the British Empire. Anyway, I did not like the Auroville and this is my personal opinion.

The only things that I admired about Auroville were the concept and the architecture. The architecture is awesome and the concept is beautiful. It is a city for all races, cultures and people from all over the world who want to seek self realization. I liked the idea of having a piece of land somewhere on the planet where people who are ready to take effort on their own selves are welcome! 

 

Matrimandir, Auroville

Taken at Auroville

The central tree, Auroville

 

We also visited ‘the Pondicherry Museum’. It is a small ancient building where certain French governor used to live. His villa has been now modified/ transformed into a museum. There, we saw many paintings of French as well as Indian rulers. How many people would have lived there? They would have travelled from France to India. Not that I support some foreign power ruling over India, but try to see the picture from their side.

It also had ancient scriptures from the eras of Chola and Pallava dynasties. The statues of Nataraja, Krishna and the dancing lady accompanied the statues of Narcissus, Cupid and Psyche. It was the confluence of the cultures. I love such things.

The museum also had the remains of Arikamedu Greek settlement. It was mesmerizing for me. Museums have always attracted me. The Arikamedu remains brought me back to my childhood. When I first learnt about the lost civilizations of Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Egypt and Babylon, I was so fascinated that I decided to become a historian or an archeologist. I gave up on that because later in my life, science fascinated me more. But I still like to read about lost civilizations. A small piece of some pottery can tell you so many things about the culture of those people is a fascinating fact in itself. The remains of these civilizations are not just broken pots and incomprehensible drawings. They are telling us a story. They are the legends of the lost people. Anyway, I enjoyed the visit to museum.

Ruchir wanted to buy a set of chocolates for one of his friends. So, we did a lot of chocolate hunting. In the afternoon, we ate at some café where he tried some French food. In the evening, we ended our journey by drinking coffee and eating chocolates.

We then handed our bike back and went to Chennai to resume our summer internship. The adventures and the mass delusions that I experienced were unique. I also saw the two sides of India. In French quarters, you will have all the cleanliness and order and a lane or two after that, you will see big amount of trash on the boulevard. I cannot change it. But I can at least document my feelings about the current situation! Indian people need to develop a backbone and we need to break our stereotypes. What else can I say? This was an awesome experience after all!

French Quarters 1

French Quarters 2

French Quarters 3

GPS!

Coffee: Perfect way to end the trip to Pondi!