Heritage Cycle Tour, White town
On a breezy afternoon where the sun displays a marigold vivid light with clouds scattered sky, we set on a cycling tour to the alluring and eminent part of Puducherry (i.e.) White town. Apologies, I’m Shusheel, a newbie tour organiser here for my field experience but when I indulged with my fellow travellers, I just made up my mind to be a traveller. Let’s move the tour phase, there is a tradition in India “start something with positive or auspicious way”. So, I’m starting with the shrine.
SRI MANAKULAR VINAYAGAR SHRINE
I referred to it as “the” shrine because it has been one of the most famed temples in South India and the town’s most well-known landmark. Manakular is derived from the words “manal” (sand) and “kulam” (pond). In the nineteenth century, this was a modest Vinayagar temple with a nearby pond. Many rulers attempted to bulldoze this location, but the people defended the shrine, which also served as a springboard for the independence struggle. Most temples and shrines will be formed of rocks and sculptures, but this temple is painted in vibrant colours that satisfy our eyes.
Puducherry is a well-known and revered pilgrimage site for Indian Catholics, particularly those from the French population who come to visit this catholic church.
OUR LADY OF ANGELS CATHEDRAL
This church, which runs parallel to the beach road, is one of the oldest in Puducherry. This church and location provide divine delight for both worshippers and explorers. The Lady of the Angels, has been historically and politically significant to the city of Pondicherry for over two centuries. It faces the sea and is a popular tourist destination as well as a tranquil area to worship and meditate.
Our next stop was the most often asked about and has a huge footfall on a daily basis. This is the most functional component of the white town, or the heart of the Ashram and its people.
SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM
Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual institution in the Union Territory of Puducherry’s White Town Area. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on Rue de la Marine, is one of India’s most well-known and wealthy ashrams, with followers flocking from India and all over the world for spiritual salvation. Its spiritual tenets are a blend of yoga and modern science.
Moving on to the historical portion of the tour. This section includes archaeological excavation and various artefacts from the pre-independence period, as well as some dating back to the Cholas and Pallavas.
PONDICHERRY MUSEUM
It is a wholesome cradle of artefacts from three different ages. The archaeological excavation from Arikamedu, which previously operated as a trading harbour for Greeks and Romans from the 2nd to the 8th centuries BCE, are on display at the Pondicherry Museum. The rare metal and stone statues, weaponry, and burial urns from the Chola and Pallava empires add to the splendour. The third exhibit in the museum depicts the age of French Colonialism in Pondicherry through church remnants and French furniture.
The following destination is also in history, but it is loaded with patriotism and poetry. This location tells the story of a freedom warrior who stayed in Puducherry for a few years before independence. This place was also the home of the poet-patriot which eventually become a museum of him.
BHARATHIYAR MUSEUM
The Bharathiyar Museum in Pondicherry is named after the poet-patriot Subramanya Bharathi. As a runaway from British India, this Tamil poet arrived in Pondicherry in 1908 and impressed the people with his finest poems and plays. The Bharathiyar Museum was erected as a monument to his work and houses a diverse collection of his texts, images, and correspondence.
Now comes the blog’s final section. The architecture of French occupation was the most common item I noticed when cycling. Let me describe the amazing architecture verbally, but for a visual experience, simply stroll about White Town. It is well worth a visit.
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE
A stroll through the gridded, cobblestoned streets of Pondicherry’s French Quarter, also known as White Town and the French Riviera of the East, will reveal some French architectural masterpieces that are nothing short of a visual feast. Consider bougainvillea-lined streets, colonial-style villas with compound walls and grand doorways, pastel pinks and yellows, elaborate balconies, tall windows with vertical cast iron bars as grills, spacious courtyards, and stucco decorations. If you want to soak in the best of Pondicherry’s colonial architecture, we’ve created a little regimen you may follow while in town. You begin on the seafront Beach Road and wind your way via the adjacent Dumas and Romain Rolland streets.
To summarise the bicycle trip, it will be a fantastic experience for tourists where one can learn more about spirituality, culture, history, and some intriguing facts about Puducherry before and after independence. As a resident of this town, I learned a lot more about these places while visiting them. I believe that everyone should undertake this bicycle journey at least once. Even if you are a Puducherrian, you can learn more about the area around here.
For Heritage Cycle Tour
Contact:
Mr. G. Venkata Subramanian
Mobile: 9789424750
