The Trip to Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram

Each human has a unique Shakti in them. When we travel together, we exchange that, Shakti. I was very nervous and scared to go on my own to this Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram trip. Luckily on my way to the airport, three girls from Mumbai were going on the same tour. We sat for an hour at idli.com before boarding the flight. We introduced ourselves and got talking about our work, family etc. The bond grew as we cracked silly jokes and pulled each other's legs. Before boarding the flight, we clicked a group picture together. 

We reached Chennai Airport, and our tour guide was waiting for us. We boarded a bus the journey began with a round of introduction of various passengers. There was a lady from the army, a school teacher teaching disabled students, and another working for a corporate. We all introduced ourselves. We shared our goals, our reason for taking this trip and what we expected from this trip. It was a pleasant round of introduction. 

We halted at a typical South Indian Restaurant in Chennai. The driver of the bus spoke excellent English. I was surprised at the literacy level of the driver. We sat on the bus, enjoyed the music being played and finally reached our five-star hotel. We were all assigned, different roommates. We got along so well with each other, like it was yesterday. 

In the evening we visited the famous French Cafe. We sat there for hours listening to each other's life stories. One of them had moved to Pune and was talking about how she loved the city of Pune. From Uber rides to the best places visited in India to our plans, we covered it all under one roof. After a dinner of salad, pasta and pizza. We all took a walk to Serenity beach. It was a beautiful beach with painters drawing sketches of the visitors etc.

The next day we explored the French quarters. Some great pictures were clicked at French Quarters. Sacred Heart of Basilica, we witnessed a cute wedding here and at Aurobindo Ashram, where we meditated for a few hours. It is believed that Aurobindo stayed in one room for 20 years, where he reached a high level of consciousness. Arulmigu Manakula Vinaynagar Temple had unique energy surrounding it. People worshipped their newly brought cars in the temple. Some of the travellers felt that energy while doing Darshana. 

On day three, we visited Svaram Sound and Garden. Svaram Sound and Garden was full of musical instruments. We got a live demonstration of each of the musical instruments. A visit to this place is quite therapeutic and meditative. Auroville Matrimandir is a vast meditation centre. We saw a movie on the life of Aurobindo and his enormous faith in humanity. The lotus shaped Matrimandir has a huge meditation room which has to be booked a week in advance to enjoy the facilities. 

One of the traveller was celebrating her birthday during this trip. We had a fun evening with drinks and a dance party for her. 

On day four, we were on our way to Mahabalipuram beach, Pancha Rathas. Each Ratha has been carved out of a single giant boulder, representing one of the five Pandava brothers. Krishna Butter Ball is quite fascinating. Although on the verge of an incline, the giant boulder appears frozen in one place. No one knows why. Varaha Temple this temple is known for four exquisite carvings, idolizing the image of Lord Vishnu, Lord Trivikama, Gajalaxmi and Goddess Durga. A sculpture of Lord Vishnu's Varaha lifting Bhudevi from the sea is the most prominent relic. 

On day five we all played games and got talking for the entire night. We finally boarded the bus and bid our fellow passengers goodbye promising to keep in touch with them through what's app. To date, we are in touch with each other and plan to meet occasionally.