Puducherry

This blog was first set up to reflect our India travels "...as technology permits." Well, I have to add Puducherry to Delhi and Haridwar on the list of cities where I found Internet cafes without functioning Internet services. So it goes.

We left the Golden Triangle area a few days ago to come south on an India Rail train. From Tuesday through Thursday we were part of a rolling residential community, a 25-car passenger train with several hundred fellow passengers. Outside our group, there was not a single white person on the train. It was quite an experience, and for the most part an enjoyable way to punctuate the transition from one part of the country to another. The students had an assignment to interview someone during the train ride, and some very rich discussions emerged from their conversations with various Indian citizens.

We are currently staying at Auroville, a large intentional community just outside of Puducherry, on India's southeast coast. Yesterday we went for a little romp in the Bay of Bengal surf, just down the beach from a fleet of colorful Tamil fishing boats pulled up under the coconut palms. It was lovely, and rather iconically picturesque. Chasing waves brought out the playful side of our group, adding a fun element to the end of our day.

Auroville is a fascinating place. We are here because Auroville is a conscious human experiment that embodies (or at least tries to embody) cross-cultural communication, sustainable agriculture, local economy, and a deliberately non-religious approach to human unity. Thus it aligns with several aspects of our curriculum, and for two days we have toured various elements of the Auroville experiment. One such visit was to the Siddhartha Farm, where organic cashews and peanuts are grown, roasted, and milled into nut butters using a solar-powered grinder. Very low-tech, but one taste of their final product was compelling testimony to its effectiveness!

Just this evening, we had a lively talk about how authentic this community is in implementing its stated goals. While there was little general agreement, the students seem intrigued with the efforts being made here. One evocative issue was the structure that Aurovillians have built at the center of their circular land area, and we shared a volley of ideas about the the role symbols play in organizing communities.

Incidentally, this is the one place in India where we had prior contacts. Ashaman Gray, a Bellingham friend who grew up in Auroville, is here now, and we spent some time together today. And tomorrow we will have lunch with Becky Pillai, who has homes in both Puducherry and Bellingham, and who has been very supportive of our expedition from the outset.

After lunch, we will head for the Chennai train station, and take another India Rail train across to the west coast for our final few days.