Wanderlust Tales : Exploring Puducherry

Posted by storiesbyankita November 15, 2017

Wanderlust Tales : Exploring Puducherry - Auroville, Pondicherry

HOW TO GET HERE:
The taxi service was arranged by our resort - The Windflower resort & spa. It was a full day ride timed for about 7-8 hours I believe.

We left around 9:00-ish in the morning and were back to our resort by 17:00-ish hail and hearty.
Pondicherry is a small place - you can cover the city in 2 days with ease and lot of time in hand.😊

Auroville is not exactly in Pondicherry but nearing Chennai on the outskirts - it was at a distance of about 20-30 kms from our resort - easily a drive of over an hour.

PLACES TO VISIT:

Auroville

Had heard a lot about the MatriMandir and that pushed me to visit Auroville - it is a must visit place in Pondicherry.

Auroville is known as the international city - has a sole purpose to create a universal town where men and women of all countries can live in peace and with progressive harmony above all creeds, politics, and nationalities.

Located on the outskirts of Pondicherry - somewhere nearing Chennai - the drive to Auroville was an enjoyable and serene one.

Driving in and around Pondicherry has been quite adventurous. 😈

With a huge car parking space, chargeable at Rs.20/- per vehicle, it was a long shaded walk of about 1-2 km till we finally spotted the MatriMandir - which is known as the soul of the city. 💚

There is a dedicated pathway for reaching the viewing point - like a forest trail away from the buzzing city life to make one feel closer to the Mother Nature.

It is situated in a large space known as Peace.

A place...for trying to find one's consciousness.

It is like the Force, the central force of Auroville, the cohesive force of Auroville.

The Mother

Before you start the long walk amidst nature, you can see short videos about the place in the museum which elicits the purpose of the Auroville and Matri Mandir.

They provide with a pass that must be presented when you start the walk.

I dare say but they must provide vehicles to drop the guests to the Matrimandir, especially with a lot of elderly people visiting the place.
They do have a pickup from the venue to the car park - but both ways would be so helpful. 😑

Easily it is a walk of over 1-2 kms - so brace yourself.

The Matrimandir is a large golden sphere which literally means the 'Temple of the Mother'.

And as you approach the viewing point - the radiant golden discs on the sphere catch your eye. 💓

Structured in a way, it appears as though a magnificent structure is emerging from Earth. Divine!

Around the Matrimandir is the Matrimandir garden divided into 12 parks with a variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees planted.

On a pleasant weather, the walk is really enjoyable. Peaceful!💚

We could see the MatriMandir only from the viewing point, for one to get inside, there is a need for a special pass. Unaware of these details, we had to pass our efforts to go inside. 😐

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