The opening scenes of Life of Pi were shot in Pondicherry; the Indian city that is forever a piece of France. You will see it in the lush gardens, French mansions, elegant walkways, and in the nickname Indian Cote d’Azur. The French colonial city is reminiscent of Montreal and New Orleans with its grid plan, shaded boulevards, and even a stature to Joan of Arc. Pondicherry remained fully French until 1963 when it gained independence from France a full sixteen years after India became independent from Britain.
Well, the title mentions blessings in Pondicherry so here is the transition. . . . In Pondicherry, Pi began exploring spiritual questions which lead him on a spiritual journey. The beginning of his physical journey also began from Pondicherry. It is another Indian city with a strong spiritual history. In 1922, the Pondicherry Ashram and Retreat started under the teachings of Sri Aurobundo.
The purpose was to live and work together with no specific religion but with surrender to the divine and opening life to that power. Members must work each day for the good of the group as a whole.The society grew and some members moved to the rural area near the city, called Auroville. From their website, this is their description of purpose:
“Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics, and all nationalities. Its purpose is to realize human unity. Pi was not the only spiritual pilgrim in the vicinity of Pondicherry.
This is the matrimmandir at Auroville. It was built as the , “answer for man’s inspiration for perfection.” David’s students were very disappointed not to be allowed to enter. It is for the pilgrims who live and work there. If you make a request, one week before arriving, you may be admitted. No amount of discussion by the professor worked. So we didn’t see the interior. And yes, that dome is gold. The building has won awards for outstanding and original architecture.
Back into Pondicherry for a visit to the Elephant Temple or Genesh Temple for a Hindu blessing. This section of the city is forever Hindu. Genesh is one of the most popular Hindu gods accepted by Jains and also Buddhists. He is the remover of obstacles and easily recognized with the elephant head. The elephant is thought to be the living form of the god. The six pointed star is a sacred symbol not only in Judism, but also Hinduism and Islam.
The pilgrim first deposits a coin into the elephant’s trunk, which she gives to her seated handler. Then she raised her trunk to touch the forehead of the person in front of her. Her hard work is rewarded. . . notice her bell, silver necklace and anklets! The crowds are large as this is a special attractions for Hindus as well as non-Hindus as you can see in the following photos. 
Easy there big girl. She is after all a baby!
Lastly, I will leave you with this “clash of cultures” photo and a Pondicherry Blessing!
Namaste. . . . .T I I
TalesAlongTheWay 
I loved reading this, especially after hearing you tell about this interesting place!
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So glad you enjoyed it. It was just going to be about the elephants and then I just seemed to need to include it all. Post seemed to take on a mind of its own! Namaste. . . . .Anne
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What a fantastic post! I love the pictures and learned a lot. Thank you for taking me on that experience with you! 😀
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Your comment made me so happy. Every
Writer needs readers, thanks for reading
and so enjoying Pondicherry. . .
namaste . . . . Anne
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Beautiful Pondicherry and Aurobindo Aashram
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It is such a special place. Thanks for your comment. Namaste. . . . .Anne
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thank you dear
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I adore Pondicherry too. You know that elephant’s name is Lakshmi !!! 🙂
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Oh thanks so much for sharing Lakshmi’s name with me. How lovely….namate. . . .Anne
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Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
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What a beautiful post. The photos are amazing. I have learnt a lot from your posts. Thanks for sharing lovely posts with us.
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Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. For a teacher, hearing that you learned from my posts is heartwarming! Please visit often……namaste. . . . .Anne
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My pleasure and of course I will visit often. Take care Anne.
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Thanks annetbell for sharing this ..i am so glad to share with you that last year i visited pondicherry and many more places and also got blessing by the temple elephant….it was the amazing experience.
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I am so glad you had this experience in beautiful Pondicherry. India is such a diverse and lovely country. I hope you will visit my blog often. Namaste . . . .Anne
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thanks
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