BEYOND THE BOULEVARDS – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF PONDICHERRY (HB)

Pondicherry, the South Indian
coastal town, union territory and former French colony, is a city unlike any
other in India. Here, the game of p?tanque is as commonplace as a minithali
sambar-rice lunch, or the briny tang drifting out of Goubert Fish Market
first thing every morning? The French sport?s slower pace and quieter sounds
reflect a different cultural trajectory compared to the rest of the country.
Indeed, it is one of many aspects or Pondicherry that make the city wholly
distinctive. Everywhere you look there are elements of the place that are
local and foreign, unusual and traditional, all at the same time. Besides its
hybrid identity, the city is also an important spiritual centre, a hub for
alternative education, a quasi-extension of the neighbouring state of Tamil
Nadu, an ecological and environmental bastion?and, thanks to a liberal liquor
license, a party town. Tapping into every aspect of Pondicherry, in Beyond
the Boulevards, Aditi Sriram captures the substance of a city that is a contrast
of colours, languages, religions, and cultures.