Cloudless skies and fresh coats of paint characterise the end of June. Before the season sets in, in Pondy, latch on to that residual summer feeling and you may find that you have streets with apricot-coloured houses, wrought-iron balconies and graffiti in surprising corners, all to yourself.
TUCK IN:
Breaking fast: Zaffron, the Arabian restaurant on Anna Salai, has put together a combo for those who want a taste of some of the simple delicacies that are part of breaking the dawn to dusk fast during Ramzan. The Iftar Combo packs in dates, blocks of freshly cut fruits, Kozi rice, rotis, curry, barbecue chicken, a sweet and a snack. The combo, priced at Rs.199, is available from 5 p.m., and can be ordered as takeaway or delivery. Call 0413-2337999 for details.
SPLURGE:
Hoard those paperbacks: The roomy Colas Hall, opposite the Cathedral on Mission Street, is a haven for lovers of books and craft. The Puducherry Book Fair, organised by Dream Books World, is back with weekend discounts. Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the fair stocks coffee table books, children’s classics, thrillers, romances, chick-lit, contemporary fiction and poetry. If you’re looking to strike a bargain on paperbacks, the combo of three for Rs. 200/ Rs. 100 may thrill the book hoarder in you.
Get a mini makeover: If you’ve always wondered how to coax cheek bones out of nowhere or get the smoky-eyed look right, stop by at Casablanca on Mission Street for 15 minutes. You may walk out with a trick or two under your sleeve. Professionals from Chambor, Faces and Bodyshop provide mini makeovers on weekends from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Order handicrafts and more online: The next time you’re too lazy to step out for something, or not sure where to look for a certain something, try finding answers at the fledgling website, http://www.gopondybazaar.com/ which projects itself as the city’s online department store. From veggies and food products to personal hygiene and baby care items, fashion accessories and electronics, the new shopping portal has an array of merchandise. For tourists who want to take home handmade paper stationery, incense, soaps or craft that the city is popular for, the website has a special section.
QUICK FACT
For a glimpse of ornate Islamic architecture, stroll the streets of the Muslim Quarter, sandwiched between Bussy Street and Subbiah Salai. Pondy’s oldest mosques all lie in close proximity to the boulevards. The more-than-three centuries old Meeran mosque with its pillared corridors; the resplendent Kuthuba mosque, the city’s oldest mosque, which was shifted from the French quarter to the streets facing Mecca later, and the Muhammadha mosque, are all located here. At twilight, when prayers ring out and men scurry for worship, the quarter with its minarets standing tall, takes on a character of its own.
WHAT TO DO:
In Pondicherry:
Ride a vintage bicycle before the city wakes up: When was the last time your rode through empty lanes of an old city, in the hours before it stirred to life? The unhurried pace of Pondy is evident in the morning hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Explore the various quarters of the city — the French town fronted by colonial villas, the Tamil quarter with its tree-lined lanes, the fishermen’s villages and the Goubert Market, before the traffic and the heat stir up the familiar chaos. Pondy Cycle Tour, is back after its summer break with its trademark vintage brightly painted bicycles. Call 0413 420 0718 for reservations.
Discover art in a heritage home: The walls of the heritage home turned hotel, Maison Perumal, display the paintings of Puducherry-born artist, K. Mounissamy. Walk around the courtyard, taking in his sketches, hung between antique furniture and wooden pillars. The show, ‘Contemporary Caves’ hosted by the Shilpataru Foundation, is the artist’s exploration on what transpires when traditional art blends with modern art.
In Auroville:
De-stress and talk health : Auroville has a plethora of options when it comes to alternative therapies.This Saturday,Verite in Aurovillehosts,‘Consciousness as medicine’, a workshop on dealing with stress and common health problems through inner healing. Yogesh Mohan, a practitioner with 20 years experience, will lead the session between 9.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. To register, call0413 2622045.
Get a headstart on tango: Cross tango off your list of dances, with this beginner’s workshop next Friday at Sawchu, Bharat Nivas. Aimed at newbies, the workshop on Arka, begins at 7 p.m. For details email tango@auroville.org.in or call9786296441.
INSIDER TIP:
For views and flowers
While there are some sights which every traveller makes a beeline to, guided by the gamut of tourist literature on the city, the New Lighthouse is something many miss out on, feels Dipen Desai, brand manager, Hidesign. “It is the best spot for a bird’s eye-view of the city including the French quarter, the stadium, the harbour and far beyond,” For spectacular views coupled with sea breeze, head to the New lighthouse at Dubraypet, on the coast, outside the boulevard area, which is open from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. If you’re in Auroville, don’t forget to stop by at the Auroville Botanical Gardens, says Dipen. “You will be taken in by their extensive collection of flora and the separate gardens for orchids, ferns and cacti. There is a amze that you can walk through and three different paths designed to provide different experiences.” They also have a nursery where you can buy seeds and saplings.
For simple vegetarian food: At Auroville, sit down to the organic thali at Solitude Farms, where you can taste every ingredient that goes into the making of the dish- all freshly harvested from the farm. In Pondy, head to Sree Andhra Tiffins on Kosakadai Street (between MG Road and Bharathi Street cutting) home-made appams with coconut milk and spicy paniyarams.
