A little bit of France in India: Pondicherry

Pondicherry.  Until 1954, a French Colonial settlement.  I wanted to stay in this most French bit of India, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Only its historic old town built, French style, in a grid pattern retains a Gallic flavour these days, but what fun I had there.

Sacred Heart Church, near where I was staying. A Catholic church in glorious technicolour.

I think Pondicherry remains in my memory as  a haven of peace because -well, it was.  My solo Indian journey was stimulating, exciting, eye -opening: but exhausting.  A solo female traveller had few options for daytime relaxation.  I wasn’t spending my days in tourist Meccas, so there were no coffee shops for me to enjoy simple down-time. Men had their tea shops.  Women – not so much.  Pondicherry provided these, and the shores of the Bay of Bengal. And French patisseries where I discovered the joy of an Indian croissant and a strong shot of coffee as an antidote to spicy fare.  I truly loved my spit-and-sawdust all-you-can-eat-piled-on-a-banana-leaf cafes, but they weren’t places to linger after you’d downed your food.  In Pondicherry I went up-market, without the up-market bills.

I stayed in a hotel called Le Rêve Bleu, and was immediately transported back to the town’s colonial days.  Older staff spoke French, because they would have been taught in French at school.  Sadly, this no longer applies to anyone younger than 55 or so: it’s English now.

Looking through to the garden.
My balcony at le Rêve Bleu.
Le Rêve Bleu. The view from my room.

Rooms were large and elegantly proportioned, and there was a leafy courtyard.  Christelle, the young and cheerful French owner whizzed me about on her motor bike on shopping sprees to make sure I wasn’t ripped off when choosing the textiles I wanted to take home.  She found me a young local woman who gave me a couple of wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating massages.  And her male staff cooked up beautifully spicy breakfasts that I ate in that courtyard.  Yet this was a budget hotel.

All the same, I didn’t sleep much there.  My room overlooked a quiet road where from midnight, the female street cleaners would get busy.  They spread themselves over several streets, and shouted conversations to each other.  They’d sit down cross legged on the pavement near my window and chatter during their breaks.  I was charmed by them.  Night birds called.  Dogs fought. At 5.30 there was the Call to Prayer.  At 6.30, the (often female) builders showed up at the building site opposite.  Hopeless really.

A fuzzy night photo of the street cleaners sit in the road and have a nice loud chat in the middle of the road outside le Rêve Bleu at midnight.
Building works opposite.
Delivery from the Builder’s Yard.

So I’d get up early and go for a walk along the seafront.  I’d look as the schoolchildren piled into rickshaws or onto the backs of bikes arriving  at school.  I’d smile at the policemen in their fine French kepis, and enjoy passing public buildings still signed in French.

The Bay of Bengal.
The journey to school, Indian style.
Dept of Public Works, Pondicherry.
Pondicherry Police. Admire those kepis!
Children off to school in Pondicherry.
Lycee Francais, Pondicherry

To be continued….

New readers:  This is Chapter Something-or-Other of an occasional series of memories of my month long trip to India in 2007.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

30 thoughts on “A little bit of France in India: Pondicherry”

  2. I never knew that France had any influence in India…a hidden gem it seems. It’s always nice to find some respite from the bustle of travel and yet still be on holiday, (even if you didn’t sleep much)!

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  3. That’s really interesting – I was familiar with the history when India was gradually colonised by the British and to a lesser extent the Dutch and the Portuguese, but I had no idea the French were there too.

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  8. It must’ve been so soothing, to find a place so familiar and European, after the exotic experiences of other parts of India! But still plenty exotic, in its own ways . . .

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  10. It sounds a wonderful place! Pondicherry makes me think of Life of Pi but I may be quite wrong in thinking that the family originally lived there (with the zoo). It sounds so elegant, so full of charm. I am almost convinced that I would cope in Pondicherry!

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  12. I wanted to be there with you! You paint the scene so vividly, I’m smiling as I stroll along. The starry gaze of youth! I wonder what it’s like there now. 🙂 🙂

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    1. I’m guessing not so different, as they quite like their little bit of France in India, if only as a tourist trap. Starry gaze of youth? This trip was part-funded by some of my generous family as a 60th birthday present!

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  13. Lovely photos Margaret, especially of the interior of the church, that convey so many different aspects of what you saw (and heard). I also didn’t know there was a French colonial settlement in India.

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