|
 The
French , who arrived in the early part of the
18th century and attempted to establish themselves in
Pondicherry , formerly known as Vedapuri , Poduke and
Puducherry .Initially they were thwarted by the British
, and constant battles for possession marked the early
years of their occupation. It is now part of a
Union Territory that includes three other small formerly
French colonies : Mahe (Kerala), Karaikal (Tamil Nadu
) and Yanam (Andhra Pradesh ). It is easier to travel
the 115 kilometres from Madras to Pondicherry by road
, rather than take the train to Villupuram , 38 kilometres
west of the town , from where there is a branch line
and a bus service . Although the French influence is
gradually fading , Pondicherry retains a few accents
. Pondicherry's main sights are the Rai
Nivas , the Sacred
Heart Church and the Sri
Aurobindo Ashram . The ashram retreat
was founded in 1926 by Sri Auro bindo after whose death
the spiritual authority passed to one of his disciples
, a French woman known as ' The Mother '. The ashram's
many activities include the making of perfumes soap
, incense and hand - made paper. The Mother was also
instrumental in founding the ' City of Dawn '
, Auroville
, ten kilometer from Pondicherry. Its original charter
aimed at creating a city of the future where people
from India and aboard could live and work together
in a spiritual environment . The futuristic buildings
of Auorville were designed by the French architect Roger
Auger . The vast Matri
Mandir serves
both as a meditation hall and the spiritual center of
Auroville. |
