Pondicherry Travel Guide

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Yoga & Spirituality

The Land of Yoga and Spirituality
There is an air of spirituality in Pondicherry that comes on strong. Ever since the revolutionary-turned-yogi from Bengal, Sri Aurobindo, settled here, peace-seekers from all around the world have beaten a track into Pondicherry. Yoga centres abound and anyone can guide you to one nearby. You will discover Yoga as a practical aid for a sound, healthy body and a focused, balanced mind.

Pondicherry has many yoga learning centers, there are two yoga institutes which are world renowned - the Aurobindo ashram and the international Center for yoga Education & Research (popularly known as the Ananda Ashram). International Yoga Festival

The government of Pondicherry conducts an annual international yoga festival during January 4 th - 7 th. The programme consists of practical yoga classes and discussions on various topics on yoga. The festival which attracts participants from all over the world, aims to develop the conscious process at all levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - and completeness in every aspect of life.

The Ideal Family Holiday Destination With a coastline of 32 kms , well-Planned French Boulevard town, palm- fringed beaches, resorts, backwaters, water sports Centre, fishing villages, harbour, the pier, the famous Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville, world-renowned yoga centers and other attractions, Pondicherry is the ideal place to spend your holidays with your family. There's something for everyone.

The Seat of Yoga
The ashram culture is all-pervading in Pondicherry. In homes and shops and all over. Largely, through the everywhereness of two charismatic portraits. One of Sri Aurobindo, sometimes pictured as an earnest young man and more often as a serene sage. The other, of his spiritual companion - the Mother - sometimes a smiling young woman, and sometimes a distinguished octogenarian. Moreover, yoga masters and yoga enthusiasts from across the globe descend onto Pondicherry for the International Yoga Festival, held here every year from 4 through 7 January.

Aurbindo Ashram
Sri Aurobindo began the practice of yoga in 1905 and 5 years later moved to Pondy from Bengal. And during his 40 years here, he worked out a new system of mind development - which he called Integral Yoga. Madame Mirra Richard, a French painter-sculptor who had followed the same path on her own, joined him later. She is now known as the Mother. Together, in 1926, they founded an ashram where his belief- "All life is Yoga" - could be put into practice.

At night time, today, Pondicherrians who believe in Sri Aurobindo's way of life, wind their way ashramward. Inside, the lights throw a welcome radiance. Quiet prevails. Over it all, the flower-decked samadhi presides. Men and women meditate with their eyes fixed on the marble samadhi. Here silence is peace, and flowers and incense are ways to lead the mind away from workday shackles.

By day, the ashram bustles with silent queues to see Aurobindo's room for meditation or blessings. In fact, the ashram has now become a mini-township. With a sprawling estate of 120 buildings, actively involved in education and industry.

It even provides guest house accommodation for as little as Rs. 45 for a single room.

Auroville
Work on Auroville ("City of Dawn"), was started in 1968. Over 30 years later, it is still incomplete. However, it is everything it is called - "The International Township for Harmony", and more. Where, based on the concept of the Mother, an entirely independent multi-racial community work and live in self-fashioned, wildly original homes. Consisting of 50 settlements spread across 20 sq. kms.

A large modern architectural marvel the Matri Mandir houses a meditation room that holds the largest single glass crystal in the world.



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