Peaceful Pondicherry

Dear Sir,
Pondicherry, the land of French enclaves and Auroville, stands true to its tagline ‘Give Time A Break’. The city, previously on the one-day itinerary of the cultural tourists, has now become popular with the bargain hunter and nature lover too. To lure travellers, the state government has announced a series of initiatives positioning it as a spiritual and shopping destination.

The first thing on the agenda, when in the city, is to hire a bicycle, as the well-paved roads make cycling the best way to explore the city.

The attractions of this city, include a 32 km coastline, palm-fringed beaches, backwaters, fishing villages, the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville and the French boulevard town.

Lodging is cheap as there is no luxury tax on hotels and suits all pockets. However, the icing on the cake is the cheap booze. And there is plenty to tease the tastebuds. Cuisine is as wide and varied as it can get from French and South Indian to Vietnamese and Chinese.

Auroville or ‘city of dawn’, after 30 years of work, is still incomplete. This city of the future is an experiment in international living, having 14 communes where 55 languages are spoken.

About 138 years of French rule has left its impact by the way of Parisian suburbs, colonial mansions and churches.
For the shopper, the city, the headquarters of the Hidesign brand of leather products, offers a lot of exciting possibilities. Add to that textiles, pottery and handicrafts, and you may end up with a gaping hole in your pocket.

Yours Sincerely,
R P Shah
Anmol House
Near Corporation School
Lane opposite: B N College
Patna: 800004

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City Of Joy

Dear Sir,
Kudos! The cover feature in the June issue of Express Business Traveller was, indeed, informative. It gave a complete lowdown on the various upmarket hotel options in Kolkata and the USP of each property. The hotel scene in the City of Joy is surely booming with a number of hotels wooing guests with innovative offerings.

Yours sincerely,
Sujoy Mukherjee
Kolkata
Via e-mail