First blog - Trip to Chennai and Pondicherry

This is my first blog, so you would enjoy reading a first time writer. Its human tendency to comment (I am like that), here is an ample opportunity for that. This is about my Recent Chennai Pondicherry trip.

We are all have completed 2 years with Infy this April 19th. Though not a big deal, we felt it is time to celebrate as we could mange to stick to Infy in spite of souring attrition rates especially from our age group. We all undergone E&R training in Pune but are posted in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. It’s almost 21 months since we all met. We all decided to meet in Chennai and visit some of the near by places.
I have started from Bangalore. It was a pre planned activity; we have planned it around 3 months before. But usual Procrastination (rather laziness) led me to accept a ticket in Guwahati Express to Chennai. The total journey From Bangalore to its final destination is 60 hours. But the train is far inferior to a passenger service to travel for max of 200 Kms. I should say a Local train of Bombay or Chennai is far better than this (keeping in the mind that they don’t have rest rooms, and this train’s are literally unusable...). Some how I managed to reach Chennai. I am not new to Chennai; I spent around 7 months in Kalpakkam as Scientific Officer. My trials to get rid of this name let me to make frequent visits to Chennai. My friend told me to catch a bus to Thiruvanmiyur from Chennai central. I used to catch the same route bus to reach Adayar Bus depot and further to catch an ECR bus. So I don’t need to ask any one to know that buses coming inside Central wont go that way, I need to cross the road. Once I reached the other side I had to believe what Mr.N Ram and Mr.Rajdeep sardesai told a few weeks before, In spite of receiving a fatal stroke in LS elections AIADMK supreme is currently the most popular leader for CM post. A new bus shelter was constructed what before used to be a place where people just used to stand.
I reached my friend’s place where Aditya and Srinivas (prof) staying. And my other two friends Shiva and Jyothi basu (I never met WB comrade  though) are on their way from Hyderabad. They are staying in 2BHK with additional space for dining some 200m from the Beach road. To my astonishment it costs them only Rs 4500 and the same kind of house in similar kind of locality (Not beach but say some thing like Jayanagar) in Bangalore costs more than Rs10, 000. I felt I am paying too much for the so called cool and moderate climate compared to Chennai. Well, I can’t do anything but just jot it down somewhere.

We set our sail to Pondy (Don’t know if there are any real sea cruises from Chennai to Pondy, If so that would be the preferred one). We are waiting at RTO of Thiruvanmiyur to catch an ECR bus. We want to go by this line rather than by Bypass rider that goes via Tambram. Obviously this line is very near to the place where I am staying and more over it is offering the Scenic beach coast along with a glance of Kalpakkam from far. We got into a bus which is already full, so we have to go on standing. We reached Pondy at 1 PM odd. Had lunch from a near by hotel. Took an auto and reached Arabindo Ashram. All I know is that Sri Arabindo is a Bengali, reached Pondicherry in British Victoria times and he is renowned Spiritual leader with likes Swami Vivekananda. It is a very serine place, where you can appreciate French (rather European) style houses. There is a Samadhi and visitors are allowed to this Samadhi and the book store. I can see many other buildings which are housing devotees, and have only private entry. Interestingly most of the devotees are foreigners!!!... (Will discuss later)
We went to Beach. It is really hot, couldn’t bear the heat. We are all looking for some kind of shelter, which is hard to find. In search of shelter we came across the Secretariat (CM’s Office), it is smaller than any Infosys building of any DC. It makes sense actually, in a state where CM is easily accessible to public and travels on a scooter (heard don’t know truth) don’t need a multi story building to run the sate. We got into a Beachside Cafeteria and had some ice cream and a lot of water. We were informed by some Infocian from Chennai that Auroville Ashram opens from 4.30 Pm to 6.30 PM.
We have started for Auroville Ashram from Gandhi statue on Beach Road. As we are scorched by sun, we decided to board an Auto and go for some 14Km journey. Auto guy demanded for Rs 200, and settled for Rs 125. This Auto can accommodate 4 people and we are 5!!. So the leanest man has to sit on laps of others. I am lucky enough to be second leanest.
None of us know tamil, we can understand a little but can not speak. It seems auto driver is pretending as if he never heard of the language we are conversing amongst us though we don’t expect him to speak telugu. After a journey of 12 KM bumpy roller coaster our auto is taking a side road. Guards from Auroville interrupted him. Autowallah said that we are late and we may miss, so he is taking short cut. Then we came to know that the visiting hours of Auroviile are 2 to 4 in the afternoon. It is already 4.15, it is damn sure we will not be allowed inside. This auto guys simply hidden facts to get business, it didn’t end here. He took us in main route only as guards are not yielding. It is hard to find another means of return from there; we have agreed to pay him another 125 and waiting charges of 20.
We went on walk in Auroville international village. It is truly international, rather foreign outside visiting hours. It supposed to have a circular dome for meditation. Sand has been collected from many countries and the sand used in constructing this. The Display model is looking very nice. We have to satisfy with display model as we can not acquire a pass that would let us enter into premises of Dome. We could not even get a distant glance of dome. I wonder what kind of visiting hours for a meditation centre.
It gave me a felling that its sole purpose is to cater to foreign nationals. Probably they don’t want to get disturbed by visitors during meditation times (after 5 in the evening). May be the organisers believe that Indians can not afford to such an international place or nothing Indians need to learn about meditation from Indians!
We went to an Organic Cafeteria where they would serve all Organic.xyz. I don’t know the difference between Organic Lemon juice and an ordinary Lemon juice. We ordered the Organic Lemon juice, as I could not dare to eat an Organic Pastry there. Organic Lemon juice was prepared before our eyes. Method is extremely new. She took a bottle from fridge which has Organic Lemon juice concentrate. She poured in a little amount and then water from the water Can. Organic Lemon juice is ready which costs each of us Rs 20. We caught the same auto returned back to Bus stand and caught a bus to Chennai with reservation this time at 6 in the evening.

Pondicherry, unlike Goa could not retain any French connection except few European style buildings. If you are not alcoholic savvy no point in visiting it else would end up in writing another blog like this.

But Mahabalipuram trip is in contrast very pleasant amidst Scorching heat will be continued in the next……...

PS: No Offences meant to any one if ignorantly I did, Please ignore splling mistake.