History

Situated on the Coromandel coast, about 160 kms south of Chennai, lies the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The French ruled this territory for 300 years, and today, it stands as a living monument of the French culture in India. It is bound on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the other three sides by the South Arcot District of Tamil Nadu. About 150 kilometres south of Pondicherry, on the east coast, lies Karaikal, while Mahe is situated on the Malabar coast. Yanam is situated in the adjoining East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Pondicherry traces its origin to Saint Agasthya, the revered sage of the south. The excavations near Pondicherry reveal, that a Roman settlement existed here, 2000 years ago. It was also the site of many a battle between the British and the French, and was the capital of French India, before it attained its independence.

This restored, attractive, former French colony, exudes a Mediterranean aura with its chic streets, elegant houses, ornamental gardens and the Hotel de Ville. Being a small and quiet enclave of Tamil Nadu, it has imbibed the Tamilian culture. Apart from the charming atmosphere, excellent restaurants and cheap beer, what attracts most travellers to Pondicherry is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, Auroville, 10 km outside town. The ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo in the year 1926, has brought international reputation to this coastal town. The ashram, the spiritual tenets of which combine yoga and modern science is quite popular within India and abroad.

Festivals of Pondicherry differ from the rest of India, for the French influence still persists prominently here. Masquerade, held in March - April, is a popular mask festival, during which brilliantly costumed and masked people of Pondicherry, dance down the streets to the music of trumpets and accordions. During the Eve of the Bastille Day, retired soldiers parade the streets in war finery, singing the French and Indian National Anthem. French is still widely spoken, and the seaside villas and the cobbled streets are more reminiscent of the south of France than the south of India!!

Arts & Crafts

He might well be called the brand ambassador for the grand old lady of India, the Ambassador car. For, he loves the car and prefers it to the others. Once he steps out of his favourite car, he doesn't mind travelling by tuk-tuk (autorickshaw) and also likes the feel of the tar road on his bare feet. Olaf Van Cleef, of the Van Cleef family, who were jewellers to the Czars of Russia, and now working with Cartier, just loves India and its people. So much that he has been here 47 times since his first visit in 1987.

"I have travelled all over India, been to Jhansi and learnt the tale of Rani of Jhansi, gone to the elephant market in Patna, besides visiting Hyderabad, Kottayam, Humpi, Kutch, Kochi and Chennai. But I still haven't seen much of India. I have a lot to learn about the country and its people because India is like a continent on its own," says this artist and jeweller, who is in Pondicherry for his painting exhibition, which is on at the Exhibition House of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram on the Beach Road.

"When I am in Europe I am in jail but here in India I am free to do what I please as long as I do it with taste. People won't mind my walking barefoot. The moment I step out of the airport, there are smiling faces and waving hands asking me where I want to go, but in Europe people seem to be angry, brooding over something or the other," he says.

Having lived in Europe all his life, Olaf says that life is too mechanical there. "People have everything. And when they come here they don't understand that not having all comforts is also part of the fun, part of what is India. I am not saying that India doesn't have comforts on par with those countries, but some places still retain their old world charm".

While talking about the Grand Hotel de Europe that existed in Pondicherry till 1996 and where he stayed every time he came to Pondicherry, Olaf recalls, "Can you imagine staying in a hotel without a fax, telephone, advance reservations, hot water and a room that looked "monastic"? The lights had to be put out by mid night or else Raymond Magry would switch them off from the outside. I didn't mind the difficulties, as Magry was a lovable and straightforward man. Anyway, these are all part of the Indian experience, but of course hotels like that don't exist anymore. That hotel was a remnant of a bygone era."

Continuing to talk about his visits, he says, "When I first came to Pondicherry I wrote to the Consulate asking for someone who would be willing to take me around the place. They introduced me to Manob Tagore of Cottage Industries, who has been a good friend since then."

Like his jewellery, the shapes and colours of his paintings too stand out. "It takes five coats of paint to make the dot stand out from the paper and I use double glasses to see the minute dots and designs," says the artist, who spends the early hours of the day (3 a.m. to 8 a.m.) drawing and painting.