After assembling in front of the Chief Secretariat office in Goubert Avenue on a Sunday evening, Storytrails took off their two and half hours journey with a group of people. It was a journey by walk that made several stops at important historical sites in the French quarters, passing through the history with a little gossip about the kings and telling the less-known stories of the former French colony.
Chennai-based Storytrails in their story-based walking tour took people on the ‘French Connections Trail’.
Vivek Ramakrishnan of Storytrails walked the group after distributing tour guide systems to the parking space of Chief Secretariat office. After ensuring that everyone could hear him speak, he began: “We will talk about the battles, colonial architecture, and the charm life that French led in Puducherry.”
He continued: “Behind every charming façade, you will find incredible stories. Did you know that the Romans were in Puducherry as early as the 2nd century AD?”
“Romans established a trading station here for pearls, stones, spices. Later, the Dutch, Danes and the British arrived. They also came for cotton when the industrial revolution created a huge demand for raw materials. Along with them, the missionaries arrived for converts. Puducherry was passed on like a bouncing ball,” explained the raconteur.
The French first set foot in 1670. They were the last ones to arrive. “Puducherry was perfect for French except for the British,” he said, explaining the war between the French and the British to retain the territory of Puducherry.
Wrapping up the brief history on the arrival of conquerors, the group walked to the Puducherry museum where they were told about the war between British and French more in detail and the reason why the border between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu is interspersed. The next stop was at the Raj Nivas, where the storyteller narrated the life of Dupleix sprinkled with some gossip.
From Bharathi Park, they walked to the Old Light House, Gandhi Statue, Customs House, La Bourdonnais Street, Police Head Quarters, visiting the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, Hotel Qualithe, Chamber of Commerce building and listening to stories of the built heritage, poets and unforgettable characters all of whom wove their way into the fabric of Puducherry.
They stopped by the French Social Club, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Sri Aurobindo Ashram and ended their trail at the Consulate.
