Losing oneself in the Immensity of Life

This year August 15th Independence Day has fallen on Monday giving us a glorious long weekend!

I spent the weekend relaxing on The Big Beach, Puducherry. Though the place is in Puducherry itt's almost Cuddalore. Big Beach is a partr of the Zest Brand of properties. It is really exclusive and has a club house feel rather than a resort. The magnificent view of the green lawns and the sparkling sea beyond is spectacular.

I took time off to sit by the beachside on 14th Evening. Totally at one with nature. Huge sea. Stretching Beach. Sky looming overhead. What are we? A small speck hanging on to the surface of something so immense and large, we do not have the equipment to comprehend fully.

The best one can do is to lose oneself totally in it. Immersed. Enveloped. Surroiunded. A part of it. IT.

Cyclone Jal at Puducherry

I was in puducherry when the cyclone Jal hit TN. The wind speeds were quite high and the lake enroute to Pondy on the ECr was brimming with water. The wind whipped at us and swirled all around.

We stayed at the Mother Sea View Guest house just behind Ajanta Hotel on the Beach Road. So we got a magnificent view of the besch and the high rollers as they crashed down on trhe black rocks. We simply sat in the balcony watching the waves and enjoying a ring side view of the force of nature!

Elephant

Award Presentation at Puducherry

07.08.2010

My Lodge Asoka No. 93, won the Best Lodge in the Region Award. I am in Puducherry today to receve it from the Regional Grandmaster of the Southern Region, R. W. Bro. Varanashi Narasimham.

We stayed the night in a Hotel called Soorya’s Heritage Inn. This hotel is lousy. The outer façade is impressive with antique frontage, elephants and fake marble horses, but inside, the rooms are dirty with cockroaches and the fittings in the bathrooms leave much to be desired. The AC was not working, and I had to create a ruckus before something was done. If you are going to Puducherry, don’t stay here.

Look Back! You are the Ocean!

A new wave was born in the ocean. It rolled about and splashed here and there, generally communicating its happiness to the other waves. The waves rolled on and approached the distant shore. Suddenly, our Wave sees a rock looming large in the horizon.

It looks on petrified and starts screaming. Another wave nearby asks what the problem is. Our wave says, 'Hey! See that Rock? We're going to crash and die!!!' 

The other wave says, 'So what? Look back you are the Ocean!" 

Independence Day at Puducherry

(Puduchery celebrates Independence Day)

This year Independence Day (15.08.08) fell on Friday making it a long weekend for everyone. We decided to take the weekend off and headed south to Tanjore.

Enroute we stopped over at Pondicherry, the pictersque French colony just a two hours drive from Chennai. As 15th August is Shri Aurobindo Day, the Ashram had opened the room used by him for public viewing. We took the token and queued up to see the room, pasing through a narrow staircase leading to it. The room is just above the meditation hall and beyond The Mother's samadhi.

The room has an aura that is quite palpable. The presence of the great soul can still be felt by those who tune to it. My daughter Srija could feel it too, but she experienced it as a heavy pressure that made her a bit dizzy.

As we walked out I remembered Aurobindo's words, " India cannot attain freedom until every Indian has become free from the shackles ogf his own ignorancea nd egotism."

(Puducherry Central Park)

We then spent time in the Central park; a huge expanse of green with a miniature Arc De Triomph in the midddle.

In the evening we browsed around J N Street. I happened upon a nice Art Gallery tucked into a old heritage building on Mission Street. The paintings were by a group of Pondy based artists. It was run by Mr. Anand. Anand's painting of an Indian Mona Lisa in Gujarathi dress was arresting.

New Year at Pondicheri!

Began the New Year 2008 at Pondicheri!

The New Year celebrations at Puducherry are more organized and displined than at Chennai. People enjoy the countdown to the New Year without violatng the liberty of others.

After a decent buffet Dinner at Hotel Surguru, we wended our way to the Beach. We parked our car near the beautifully renovated Public Gardens with the replica of the Arc De Tromph in the centre. The brillinatly lit edifice created a truly french ambience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!