This is part 4 of a 4 part series titled 'A trip that made a difference: Auroville'
Click here for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
“I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be.” Douglas Adams. This trip to Auroville couldn't have been defined in a better way.
Click here for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
“I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be.” Douglas Adams. This trip to Auroville couldn't have been defined in a better way.
 |
| The sunrise |
Time flew and the final day at Auroville had arrived. Watching the sun emerge from the deep, being our last, at least for a while, woke us up long before the sun rose. After breathing in the nature as much as we could, we packed our luggage, had one last gaze at the beautiful room and headed to the breakfast area. We were joined by our new friends and together we relished the breakfast.
.jpg) |
| The dip in the sea |
Three days spent at the distance of 50 meters from the beach and we hadn't taken a dip. That was an injustice to the shimmering water we had been looking at since the day we reached. The half an hour dip turned into three hours of absolute unadulterated fun.
 |
| Black Coffee |
After the madness,
we sipped on the black coffee watching Shailaja (a charming girl from the
village) and Renojay play. Shailaja possessed an incredible appetite for colors and paints and with her immaculate English, unusual for her age, she would run to me and show her piece of art. We browsed through all the travel magazines and she identified the colors and the animals with copious enthusiasm.
A picture speaks more than a thousand words and to seize the moments in our memories, we clicked pictures: The pictures which would allow us to relive this remarkable experience at some point of time in the future. At 5.30 in the evening, we finally pushed ourselves out of Auroville.
A picture speaks more than a thousand words and to seize the moments in our memories, we clicked pictures: The pictures which would allow us to relive this remarkable experience at some point of time in the future. At 5.30 in the evening, we finally pushed ourselves out of Auroville.
 |
| The French Colony |
We reached Pondicherry, a city with a dual personality, an interesting mix of the East and the West. We decided to explore the
streets of Pondicherry on foot. Known as The French Riviera of the East, the
white colony is lined with colonial style houses, bakeries and restaurants
serving fine wine. French is widely spoken as Pondicherry was the largest
French colony in India. We were hypnotized by the distinctive architectural style and the feel it has been carrying along with it for all these years. After a good 1.5 hours, we had our last coffee in Pondicherry at Cafe Zuka.
“We shall
not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive
where we started and know the place for the first time.”- T S Eliot
When I
landed in Bangalore, I was a changed person. That is what travel does to you, it gives you a new perspective towards life and unclutters your mind of the unnecessary thoughts holding you back from living your life to the fullest. The road towards the search for complete liberation will keep me moving. But it sure was an important milestone achieved. Life, to me, means much more than it did before this trip to Auroville. I realized the importance of taking
a pause and examine whether I am on my path to the ultimate goal of my life or running on a treadmill.
Pondicherry to Bangalore:
Travels: Sharma Travels, sleeper coach
Journey: 7-8 hours
Cost: Rs 600
Pondicherry to Bangalore:
Travels: Sharma Travels, sleeper coach
Journey: 7-8 hours
Cost: Rs 600
This is part 4 of a 4 part series titled 'A trip that made a difference: Auroville'