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Somewhere in India one is bound to find France. Whether an innocent reflex or pure affectation, the aura of the territory known as Pondicherry is as French as can be, a world of its own even.
Settled by the French in the 18th century, Pondicherry is insularly French as it is Indian. Those looking for a glimpse of Paris in Asia might want to procure a rail map of Pondicherry today.
Sights to see in Pondicherry are a bevy, but the point to zero in is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, one of the most famous in India. The complex circumscribes the houses of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother as well as their samadhis, where they are enshrined.
Starkly contrasting this French élan are the presence of a plethora of Hindu temples. Built between the 10th and 12th centuries, the temples in Pondicherry are the works of the Cholas for the most part. |
