There are very few things that feel ethereal for me. Being agnostic in nature, that’s saying something. There is only one thing that even remotely makes me feel there’s something ‘godly’ of sorts - the vast ocean. The one place that I find this feeling to be most is at Pondicherry. I first visited the place when I was nine or ten of age. I fell in love with the place. I felt something that I’d never felt before. I was literally in awe of the sea. I’d been to various beaches before, yes. But there was something about this small town with French elements scattered here and there that grabbed the attention of my ever wandering mind.
The charm of the place lies in its plainness. The French part of the town is much different from the other parts. The roads here are narrow, short and tiled. The houses are structured differently. The smell of the sea in the air can’t be missed. The humidity, the sun, the wind - all of it just right. The seashore is barricaded by large, black boulders. Sitting on one of those and staring out at the sea all day is what I went for the last time. I took time off from work, from my family, from everything. The waves hitting the lower rocks, the white frothy water receding just as the next wave comes in... The best part is the sound of the sea. The morning blue-green waters to the dark ones during the night, the sound of the waves as they come crashing on the rocks, the wind bellowing, everything is just enthralling. No other place with the sea brings out such a feeling in me. There's something about Pondicherry...
To travel by oneself is something that everyone must do. It is a truly amazing and fulfilling experience. You are at peace with yourself. For me, Pondicherry is the getaway place.
Visit the place. For what it is.
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