Saturday, March 30, 2024

Pondicherry (Puducherry) - a bit of France in India

One of the destinations in India I had not yet been and that evoked an emotional reaction from books I have read (like Life of Pi) and might have heard and seen at some point was Pondicherry at the Coromandel Coast. So this year, I decided to go and see. 


Promenade


Hotel Krish


I arrived in the former French colony and had booked a hotel in White Town/ French quarter. From there I could walk in 5 to 10 minutes to Rock beach and the Promenade where every evening lots of people went for a stroll or just hanging out. I usually started with a walk through the crafts market and then came to a big square that look out to the sea where a statue of Gandhi hi reminds everyone of the long way to independence.


Gandhi

 

While British controlled India became independent in 1947, most of the French territories remained with France for a couple of more years. In 1954, Pondicherry and the others joined India de facto. After agreements were signed with France in 1956 and their ratification in 1963, four French enclaves across India became a Union Territory with Pondicherry as its capital. 


Before I went, I was told that there is no diving in Pondi as there are no natural reefs. When I arrived, in every street I could so an advertisement for diving. So I went to one of the dive shops and learned that the built artificial dive sites. I did a refresher course in the tank and then we went to the harbour: 6 people for DSD (discovery dive), a lady who did her OWD (open water diver) and I for a fun dive. 


Diving boat

Silver Moonies


After 15-20 min going out on the sea, we anchored at the site and went down. This time it was a big step from the rear of the boat and I was in the water. The number of fish and diversity was amazing: sergeant major, Silver Moonies, angelfish, groupos, snappers, giant triggerfish, lion fish (dangerous), file fish, Emperor Angelfish, ... Thanks to the discovery divers we also had a camera man who made photos and videos of us.


under the sea

Besides its French history, Pondi is very well-known for the ashram of Sri Aurobindo and lots of people come to learn and meditate here. Sri Aurobindo and a French woman called "The mother" founded nearby Auroville in 1968 - a spiritual but non-religious place dedicated to peace, sustainability and "divine consciousness". A central focal point is the Matrimandir that looks like a big golden Ferrero Rocher. Inside you can meditate if you received permission. Most of the visitor remain faraway with just a free ticket to view it from a platform in the scorching heat. Further, you can learn about the history and construction of Auroville, enjoy food and explore local crafts.


Auroville from the sky

Walking through Auroville

Matrimandir


In the afternoon, I went for a yoga session close to Rock Beach - instead of the standard sun greetings I learned deep breathing exercises and a thorough warm up - all with the view of the ocean.


Yoga teacher Pavithr

Rock Beach


My last day in Pondicherry, I spent with a bicycle tour in the early morning going through different neighbourhoods, the bazaar, from cathedral to churches, to the sea, past the ashram and through the French quarter till we reached back to the starting point. 



Immaculate Conception Cathedral

Notre Dame des Anges

Sacred Heart Basilica

Goubert Market - vegetables

Goubert Market - flowers


The tour was offered by the Sita cultural center that also offers many other classes. I had asked what the white flowery paintings on the pavement before the houses mean. These are kollams and are a welcoming message. As they offered a class in a couple of hours of Kollam, I decided to come back after a breakfast at the Café des Arts.


Café des Arts - outside


Café des Arts - inside


To do Kollams, our teacher explained you need focus and patience. And while our first trials did not resemble much, we got better and better throughout the 90 min course. 


Kollam


In the afternoon, I went spice, clothes and food shopping at the bazar before taking a break at a spa and getting a massage. I ended the day with a lovely dinner at La Villa. 


Green Day Spa

Dessert at La Villa

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Holi in Jaipur - Festival of colors

One of the things I wanted to experience while in India was the Holi Festival.

Holi celebrates the start of spring and happens at different dates every year in March depending on the lunar calendar. Depending on the region the festival can take 2-10 days. On the first day, it only becomes interesting half an hour before midnight.

Burning of Holika

Then a bonfire is lit on the streets in the neighbourhood to burn a straw representation of demon Holika. The story goes like this (copied from Wikipedia):

King Hiranyakashipu, the father of Prahlada, was the king of demonic Asuras and had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him. Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, however, remained devoted to Vishnu. This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika, Prahlada's evil aunt, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire spread, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who survived while Holika burned. Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha
– half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashipu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).

 

Day 2 - people on the road are already coloured 


On the second day, we joined some other friends and family at an outdoor venue and smeared each other's faces and bodies with colourful powder. As that was not enough we threw water and used water guns and soon streams of coolers ran down on us. Best time to get some new colours and look for your next victim:-). In between, we danced, we sang, we laughed and had a lot of fun.

Sankalp & Chris

Janya & Chris

Chris & Siddhi



On the way home & to the shower

It only took 5 rounds of shampooing my hair and body to get most of it out but some (especially yellow and pink) remained for a couple of days.

The coloured powder is available at stalls everywhere - in small, medium and big bags. Or also at the supermarket just with a fancier packaging. I got my colours in Rishikesh on the street.




Saturday, March 23, 2024

Rishikesh: fast and slow, loud and calm

After a 9 hour train ride with many stops I arrived in Rishikesh - the yoga capital of India. I walked to the main road where I took an autorickshaw to the Tapovan neighborhood (near Laxman Jhula) and checked-in to Divine Lakshmi Ganga Hotel and rested for a couple of hours. 

In the train - 3C


In the afternoon I checked out the neighborhood and wanted to cross the suspension bridge - unfortunately Laxman Jhula was closed for reconstruction. Instead I kept on my side of the Ganga and booked river rafting for the next day. Took some convincing not to be looped in with an absolute beginner group. After this was fixed, I walked back through the bazaar to the main road. At VJ’s giardino I sat down for dinner looking out over the Ganga and to Ram Jhula. Food here (bruschetta, pizza, pasta) was fantastic.


Follow the signs to find the Ganga


Walking with the monkeys above

Trayambakeshwar, Om Shiv Pooja bhandar

Dinner view to Ram Jhula from VJ's giardino by the Ganga


The second day in Rishikesh, the river rafting tour picked me up at the hotel and we drove upstream to the starting point. On the way, we passed by the towers for bungee jumping, the great swing and other adrenaline junky favorites. Our rafting guide gave a security briefing: 90% Hindi, 10% English. Thanks for the Iceland experience, I remembered the main commands: forward, backward, stop, down. 


Ready for the rafting

I was the only foreigner in the boat and off we went through the first rapids. After the speedy and biggest rapids and some swimming beside the raft, we arrived at the midway point where some further people joined us. Downstream we came across some more but less difficult rapids and got another swimming session in. 


survived the first rapids

End point for our tour


Soon after, we arrived at the pick up point where we waited a long time till our car came. Lots of other rafts arrived and left while we waited. There was also a funeral taking place - the body wrapped in white clothes was placed on top of a funeral pyre by the Ganga and soon the last rites were performed and the fire was lighted.


Back in the hotel I got the Patra Potli massage I booked and rested afterwards. 


Spa


After a late lunch I walked down to Ram Jhula and crossed the suspension bridge. On the other side I explored the ashrams, temples and the river bank. 


Ram Jula


One of the many active ashrams in Rishikesh - Parmarth Niketan Ashram is close to Ram Jhula and the Ganga and therefore attracts a lot of people.

Parmarth Niketan Ashram

Ashram schedule

On Saturday morning, I joined a two hour yoga class in Tapovan with
yoga teacher Mitrathanks to Zahara who shared the info with me after our dinner the evening before. Despite haven't done any yoga for some time, I could follow the class without problems.

Yoga class 

Look for the boards to find a yoga class

The rest of the day, I spent souvenir shopping and in the afternoon headed towards the Beatles Ashram aka Chaurasi Kutia. The ashram was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s and in 1968 The Beatles spent two months here to learn about Transcendental Meditation. They wrote a lot of songs in this period - many of them making it to the "White Album".

The Beatles & Maharishi image in the Satsang Hall


Abandoned after the 1970s, the meditation caves, living quarters, bungalows and other structures were prone to the forces of the jungle which took over the place. In 2015, the place opened as a tourist sight and attracts a lot of Beatles devotees. 



Living quarters

Each had a big room, a bathroom and a balcony

Meditation Caves - 84 were built between 1974-1978

Maharishi's bungalow

egg-shaped domes on the multi-story buildings


Sawar tree flower