Pondicherry

Today we travelled 150 kilometers south of Chennai to a city named Pondicherry. During the drive, we stopped along the way to sample young coconuts, called "tender coconuts." Our friends told us that the water of a tender coconut is very nutritious, helping the body fight the heat and offering many other health benefits. (They were right, check it out on the internet!) The water was crystal clear, and lightly sweet.

Jayashree picking out the perfect tender coconuts.

The drive to Pondicherry (also know as Pudicherry) took about a 3 hours. Located on the Bay of Bengal, the town was originally founded as a French settlement, the French quarter still reflects the French culture uniquely blended with the native Indian culture.

The market and temple.

For a the cost of a small coin, you can receive a blessing from an elephant outside the temple.

Kandappa receives his blessing.

We visited the temple, the market, a few local monuments, the Pondicherry museum, and the Ashram.

The Gandhi monument

An ancient sculpture in the garden of the museum.

E Mae and Jayashree took a scooter taxi ride!

This was a wonderful place, a very spiritual city. More about Pondicherry tomorrow if there is time!