The most comfortable and convenient popular tourist destination that can be caught up from Chennai is riding along the ECR Highway towards French settlement in South India - Pondicherry. The beach facing town on South East coast of India has numerous Bougainvillaeas, French Cafe, Churches and Beaches. To seek spiritual energy, one can visit Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville village.
We started our trip from Chennai by Kia Sonet car in the morning around 8 o clock. Try to ride before 6 AM in the morning to spot Sunrise on any beaches along East Coast Road. We took a stop for Breakfast at Motel Mamalla in Mahabalipuram, the town famous for heritage sites founded by King Narasimhavarman of Pallavas. The port city has structural construction includes monuments and sculptures - Descent of the Ganga, Pancha Rathas, Cave temples, Shore temple along the Bay of Bengal.
After having a pretty decent breakfast, the car continues the ride along with ECR Highway and join the scenery of the Backwater, the Palar river, Odiyur lake, Marakkanam Bridge viewpoint and many delightful landscape on either side of the road.
Around noon, we stopped the car to visit Serenity beach along the highway. The first thing that hit us was the salty air on our faces and we were feeling relaxed after getting a glimpse of the majestic blue ocean, golden sand and dancing waves touches the shores when the wind blows lightly.
After enjoying the breeze at the beach, we went to visit Auroville village. The unique village has its history to talk about - Aurobindo Ghosh the great freedom fighter from Bengal who renounced violence and seek the path of Spirituality in Pondicherry. His disciple Mira Alfassa, a French woman who came to Pondicherry and became a disciple of Aurobindo.
Aurobindo taught the values of human unity which is strongly imbibed in the minds and soul of Mira Alfassa, Mother of Auroville. In 1968, Mother founded the experimental township where people from diverse region share the Auroville space together to create a perfect society through the means of Self exploration and Self discovery.
The experience from the Auroville village is nature seeking, absolutely soulful and spiritual. For visiting the Matrimandir viewing point, we need to book the arrival either at the visitors centre or book through visit.auroville.org. Mantrimandir is a visual treat of seeing the golden beauty with the greenish landscape from the viewpoint. The Mandir looked like a lotus flower in full bloom emerging from twelve large petals.
After having a pleasant experience in the Auroville village, we had a complete lunch at Pondicherry famous Kamatchi mess and later booked the stay in Hotel Cours Chabrol near Promenade beach in White town.
The white town is the French Quarters primarily the French families living there and the houses converted into heritage hotels, art galleries, cafes and restaurants. In the evening, we strolled in French town to witnesses their architectural heritage and vibrant paintings of French building.
The next day, we returned to Chennai on the same route via the ECR highway. We bought the briyani from JA Arcot Briyani in Pondicherry and stopped the car at Mughal era Alamparai Fort to have a glance over the partially walled fort. The present condition of the Fort is not in its original shape which was demolished by the British during the Anglo-French war and further damaged by Tsunami.
The climate is so hot in the afternoon and so we didn’t spend much time in the fort. We returned to ECR highway after having the good tasty briyani in the spot found near the fort.
The trip to Pondicherry was nicely ended with hot aroma tea near the highway. I’m finishing this travelogue with the quote “ Drive slow to enjoy the scenery - Drive fast and join the scenery”
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