Bidding a temporary farewell to Chennai on January 11th, we packed up and drove four hours south to Pondicherry (which is also known as Puducherry). After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we had the rest of the day to experience the unique city of Pondicherry! Even though everyone spent their time in different ways, it’s safe to say that we all enjoyed exploring the beach promenade and admiring the beautiful buildings. In Pondicherry, the architecture suddenly shifts as you approach the beach area — it changes from a bustling Indian street, lined with shops, motorcycles, and cows — to grand buildings displaying the French influence on the city. Pondicherry was originally occupied by French colonists, so much of the architecture by the beach is still modeled after French designs today. Also, Pondicherry has many delicious French-inspired restaurants and bakeries!
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| A Pondicherry street view |
Seeing the beautiful Bay of Bengal for a second time was another highlight of the afternoon, but even the sunny skies and peaceful waves couldn’t keep us from thinking about the devastation that water can cause; we recently read two articles detailing the treacherous 2004 tsunami that greatly affected southern coastal India, and they helped us put the destruction and tragedy these communities faced into perspective. In Pondicherry, a barrier of rocks was installed on the beach after the tsunami occurred to protect the city against future storms
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| The Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry |
Though we all could’ve spent two more days enjoying Pondicherry, we definitely made the most out of our day there! We are already learning, observing, and experiencing so much here in India, and we can’t wait to continue sharing our adventures with you!
-Meredith
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No shortage of beautiful flowers here!
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| The promenade |
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| A beautiful park in Pondicherry |
