The adventures of Trent

In Pondicherry

So we're currently in Pondicherry just chilling before heading to Madurai tonight, and I must say this is a pretty nice place. There is still a heavy influence from the French occupation of Pondy and some really nice french/italian/european restaurants. But one thing about this place though is that there's a hippy commune just outside of Pondy, called Auroville (alternatively named by us as oral-ville). Ideally this place sounds awesome, according to their website;

"Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity."

But actually going there and talking with the people who live nearby, it sounds like the theory is a bit different to the actual. Talking to the local pizza restaurant owner, he said that no one from oral-ville ever smiles which is hilarious and seeing them on the oral-ville beach being approached by Indian begger and crap sellers, they look like they have no idea how to operate in India at all, even though they live in India.

And worst of all, when you visit, you have to go to the visitors centre and watch a video which explains oral-ville in order to get a pass to enter their gardens to see the centrepiece of the place, which they have named "Matrimandir" or in english, the giant golden golfball as you can see below

This is what happens when you give hippies money ;) So yeah, that was a bit of pondy, did alot more here but I just had to inform the world of this golden golf ball waste of money and resources.....which they could have used the money to help the Indian community around them...but thats just my opinion....

So till next time, in another Indian city, take care and rock on

posted by Trent @ 12:52 PM