This weekend, the world joins India in celebrating the maiden edition of ‘International Yoga Day’ and France in pumping for ‘Fete de la Musique’. Whether its music or yoga that is your soul’s calling, you’re sure to find them around the boulevards, served up with Pondy’s distinctive tranquillity and mild sunshine.
TOURIST TICKER:
Yoga in a heritage building by the sea
The city has always accorded special importance to yoga, so much so that an International Yoga Festival is celebrated annually in January every year, replete with competitions and workshops. Yoga centres and therapy sessions are sought-after by tourists who weave them into their holiday itinerary. The Puducherry Government has taken another step to cement Puducherry’s tag as a yoga destination. A heritage building on Rue de la Compaigne, close to the Bharati Park, is being restored and spruced up with wooden flooring to function as a yoga centre. The building will house a Lifestyle Modification Centre that will offer naturopathy, acupuncture, yoga and other facilities like mud baths, massages and wellness packages.
TUCK IN:
When hunger strikes late: There are not many places to track down for a midnight snack in Pondy. The Shenbaga Hotel and Convention Centre on M.G. Road, one of the swanky places to come up recently in town, has a new 24-hour coffee shop which may come to your rescue if you are attacked by late night hunger pangs. At Poppy, you can fill your stomach with coffees, smoothies and burgers and appetisers like jalepeno cheese dumplings, any time of the day.
A moment for momos: If you’re in the mood for fast food that does not come loaded with cheese or calories, then the momo works just fine. The Momo Place on S.V. Patel Salai does not have the trappings of a place that makes you linger. With its sloping stencilled roof and a few chairs outside, it is one of those quick pit stops you can make when you’re famished and want something filling and wholesome. Prepared and wrapped delicately at a household in Colas Nagar, the steamed favourites are served hot here, stuffed with chicken, prawn, vegetables or mushroom and cheese. They are priced between Rs. 105 and 160 for eight pieces.
Aye for appams: It’s monsoon time in Kerala. For a nostalgic whiff of rice and coconut milk, head to the Appam Festival at Hotel Atithi. Crisp appams stews and curries are part of the deal. Appams also come with a variety of vegetarian and non-veg stuffing. The festival is on this weekend from 7 p.m.
WHAT TO DO:
In Pondicherry:
Spend an evening with the masters of jazz: The Alliance Francaise de Pondichery has plenty of live concerts all around the year. But to celebrate Fete de la musique 2015- an all-day musical celebration on the first day of summer solstice- the organisation is taking a different route. On Saturday, from 6 p.m. onwards, the AF auditorium on Rue Suffren will screen a three-hour musical that will feature the best of recorded live concerts from jazz veterans. Sit back and be mesmerized by the prowess of vintage jazz singers like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Archie Shepp and more. The festival, flagged off in France, is now celebrated globally and is characterized by amateur and professional performances in public spaces. Keeping with the spirit of the tradition, the concert is free and open to all.
Tango , the Argentine way: If you like to mix up passion and killer dance movies, then try the Argentine Tango classes at La Casita, the centre for Latin arts and culture, on Eswaran Koil Street. The partner dance is a social art form of its own. To register for a session, call 7639405194.
Perform an asana on the beach: The Gandhi Thidal and the rest of the Promenade is a good place to be in, any give morning. It is worth getting out of bed early to watch the first of sunshine glint on the the Bay of Bengal and slowly wrap you in their luminescence. This Saturday, over 3,000 young people, mostly school children will welcome the sunrise with yogasanas to mark International Yoga Day. Meditate by the sea, try your hand at an asana or drop in for the workshops and information sessions lined up all day.
Ace your performance skills: If you’ve dreamt of a career under the arc lights, Adishakti’s ‘Source of performance energy’ may be right up your alley. The tried and tested performance methodology workshop was developed by late founder Vennapani Chawla and her team and is noteworthy as a platform for honing talent.
The workshop is scheduled for the end of July, but seats are limited. Register early through e-mail, sopeadishakti@gmail.com or call +919047530689, or log on to www.adishaktitheatrearts.com
In Auroville:
Embrace the wild side: Can humans talk to animals? Can they get beasts in the wild to get across what they feel. For answers, watch a screening of the documentary ‘The Animal Communciator’at Sadhana Forest in Auroville . Anna Breytenbach who specializes in interspecies communication talks reveals the trauma of a bird, makes friends with a leopard and plays with baboons in this flick. The screening at 7 p.m. on Saturday, is preceded by a toured of Sadhana’s projects and is followed by an organic dinner. Contact Sadhana Forest at 2677682 or or e-mail sadhanaforest@auroville.org.in for details.
