On the ground · India
Pondicherry, a Little Bit of France in India
On the Coromandel coast, Pondicherry — “Pondy” — has a unique atmosphere and charm, very different from the rest of…
Chennai
On the ground · India
Visiting Auroville, the City of Dawn
Auroville, “the City of Dawn”, is for “The Mother” the place of a universal community life — “where men and…
On the ground · India
Visiting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry
In Pondicherry’s old French quarter, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a haven of meditation. Set on Marine Street in a…
On the ground · India
What to See in Mahābalipuram
Mahābalipuram — today Mamallapuram, “the city of Mahā Bali” — is a small town in Tamil Nadu, 60 km south…
On the ground · India
Kanchipuram, One of India’s Seven Sacred Cities
Kanchipuram, “the golden city” (from kanchi, gold, and puram, city), is one of India’s seven sacred cities. Former capital of…
On the ground · India
The Crocodile Farm
This farm is home to 5000 crocodiles and alligators of every shape and size, from all over India and the…
On the ground · India
DakshinaChitra
DakshinaChitra is a living-history museum devoted to the heritage and culture of South India: folk performing arts, crafts, architecture and…
On the ground · India
Cholamandal Artists’ Village
The Cholamandal artists’ village, between Mahābalipuram (40 km) and Chennai (20 km), is a creative cooperative. In fine exhibition-sale rooms…
On the ground · India
Kollywood, the Chennai Film Studios
Chennai’s great film studios are nicknamed “Kollywood” — the Tamil answer to Bollywood. Unlike those of Mumbai, the AVM and…
On the ground · India
The Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai
In the heart of Mylapore, one of Chennai’s oldest districts, the Kapaleeswarar temple is one of the great Śaiva sanctuaries…