La Côte d’Azur de l’Est, meaning the French Riviera of the East. This refers to the beautiful coastal union territory of India, Pondicherry or Puducherry,a former French colony in India that still retains its French legacy.
A 150 year old heritage, with a blend of French architectural style and Tamil heritage living, meticulously restored using ancient components like Chettinad plaster and Atangudi tiles - this is the splendid WelcomHeritage Calve hotel of Puducherry. It is here that I spent a wonderful summer weekend last year in the luxurious Chettinad room of the hotel. Chettinad by the way is the name given to the region of the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu state, the home of the Chettiars, a business community.
Reaching the hotel was fairly easy. A train trip to Chennai(which has flights from all major cities in India) and then a two and a half hour road journey in one of the many luxury buses along the scenic coastal highway brings you to the picturesque seaside city of Puducherry.
Once I reached Pondicherry, I noticed that the place retains its distinct French flavor, be it in the sprawling grand colonial mansions, beautiful boulevards, and placid promenades, spellings on sign boards and buildings, names of roads and public places.
My Chettinad room that cost me 5700 rupees or roughly 120 USD for a 2 night, 3day stay was a big room with a nice bed, a coffee maker, LCD television and the much needed electronic safe. The rooms are tastefully decorated with exquisite period furniture, a reminder of its glorious heritage.
For those who like to carry their work with them, there is Wi-Fi in the lobby and restaurant and international direct dialing facility. As I looked around, I noticed that the WelcomHeritage Calve retains its French heritage that is still resplendent in its tall columns, tiled flooring and fine woodwork. The location of the hotel though not sea-facing, is very close to the city centre and the markets.
But what leaves an indelible impression on you when you stay at the Calve Hotel is the delightful cuisine that is served at the Salle a Manger-the classical restaurant at Calve that serves some of the most exquisite range of cuisines from Indian, Oriental, French and the specialty CREOLE of Puducherry. I simply cannot forget the lamb dishes, saffron rice, Naan items and even the French would be proud of the Mousse au chocolat and Crème brûlée-the dessert royale that is served here.
The travel desk at the hotel also arranged for cabs for the local excursion to many places prominent among them being the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the beautiful Auroville – the Utopian ‘city of dawn’, the golden Auroville beach and the 1.5 km long Promenade along the beach.
Also to be seen in Puducherry are some of the oldest Churches in the country with their unique architectural styles and exquisite interiors.Some of the churches date back to 1761. In particular, I relished the experience of sailing at the Chunnambar backwaters about 10 kms from the hotel.
If you get tired from your explorations, the Calve has in house provision for Ayurvedic massages and rejuvenation therapies by qualified hands. Interesting thing is you can hire a bicycle or a two wheeler for sightseeing around the place.
Puducherry is unique with its combination of different cultures and its golden shores, sunset cruises, and the blissful lagoons make it a awesome choice for a short vacation and I found Calve Hotel to be the most appropriate place for a relaxed and zero-hassle stay here leaving you carefree to enjoy the many pleasures of the place.
