Pondi 2
For a month now, I have been renting an apartment in “the white city”, the historic heart of Pondicherry with my friend Rishabh. Renting brings many advantages:
– First, it brings stability, you are at home and no longer passing through.
– Then the financial cost is much lower compared to the stay in a Guest House.
– The environment is improved: the apartment is located 300 meters from the beach in a large Tamil house. The owners occupy the ground floor and the first floor. We are on the second floor.
– It is now possible to cook and eat more balanced. Indian culinary culture ignores salads. The only raw vegetables Indians eat are cucumbers and onions. I introduced salads to Rishabh, he loves it
Discovery of healing plant juices
My friend Ravi, originally from Sri Lanka, knows Pondicherry very well and is interested in a lot of things. Today, I tasted Amla juice which has the particularity of cleaning the intestines. I am conquered, well-being is clearly felt during the day.
Yoga
Yoga is widely practiced in India. It is considered a way to stay healthy. It’s the equivalent of western jogging.
It is surprisingly very little connected to spirituality among the population. It is practiced in the morning, individually, in the street, along the beaches or in front of the television. The latter broadcasts courses.
My friend Lakshmana recommended a yoga teacher to me. So I met him and started private lessons: 1 hour / day – 7 days a week.
The goal I set for him and he accepted is to bring me to the lotus position and be able to hold this position without affecting the knees.
Lalit JAIN is an excellent teacher. The current passed very quickly.
I started classes 5 days ago now and the progress is dazzling, enormous. I am amazed and Lalit is delighted, professionally it is rewarding for him.
After three days he told me this: “Many people want to do yoga but they can’t. Their body contains too many blockages. But you, despite your 64 years, your body is “clean”, devoid of any blockage. This is exceptional “.
I could never thank Céline Aubaud enough who took care of removing my blockages. In France, in Rennes, she worked on my body for 6 months. The results have been huge and long lasting. I have already expressed myself on the subject in these terms on Google reviews:
“Céline is exceptional. I am used to massages. I must total more than 1,000 services in various cultures. Indeed, I have lived in France, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. I am talking about well- being and caring obviously.
For relaxation, you can make an appointment with your eyes closed. But Céline does many other things. In particular Taoist massages (energetic).
Celine is one of a kind. I’m 63 and I’ve been through a lot. My body had stored trauma since childhood causing successive energy blockages. As the sessions progressed, my body unblocked dramatically. It’s been 4 months and 8 sessions. The treatments changed my posture, made it possible to recover the flexibility of a child and also increased my self-confidence. I can only highly recommend provided you want to make this work on you.”
See the detailed explanations on this site in “Themes” /”Health” / page “Body blockages”
Diwali
Diwali (also called Divali or Deepavali) is a ‘festival of lights’ which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, as well as the blessings of victory, freedom and enlightenment. The name comes from the Sanskrit dipavali, which means “row of lights”. On Diwali night, celebrants light dozens of candles and clay lamps (called diyas), placing them in their homes and on the streets to light up the dark night. Diwali is also a time for families to bond.
In most of India, Diwali consists of a five-day celebration that culminates on the third day with the main Diwali celebration. In other places where Diwali occurs, usually only the main day is celebrated.
Diwali takes place every year in autumn (or spring, in the southern hemisphere), during the Hindu month of Kartik. (To put it in Western terms, Kartik begins around mid-October and ends around mid-November.) More specifically, Diwali occurs on the darkest day of the lunar month, which is the day of the New Moon.
Decoration of the main street of Pondicherry
Classical dance show at the Alliance Française
And Diwali lasts 4 days… Pondicherry is overcrowded. All shops, even those usually open on Sundays are closed. Diwali is a national holiday or corresponds to a public holiday.
Tradition has it that on the main day, October 24 this year, everyone detonates firecrackers outside their homes. It is evening and the sound of firecrackers has been held back for almost 24 hours now….
Candles are lit in front of the home, a visit to the temple is required for a blessing and sweets are circulated among families. People wish each other “Happy Diwali”….
Indians do not celebrate Christmas. Diwali is the equivalent.
Blessing at the temple in front of my house
Firecrackers and fireworks in the streets
Pondicherry, the sweetness of life…
The Indians are tolerant, smiling and welcoming. But, like everywhere, the big cities are noisy and stressful except… Pondicherry.
A few days ago, I went for a massage. After the massage, the masseuse offered me a tea and lingered on the terrace with me. I started the conversation by saying: “Pondicherry is a quiet town…” She replied yes with a smile. We talked, she is from North India and came to Pondicherry for work 7 years ago. She never left…
At the tourist office of Pondicherry, in the white city, there is a leaflet which speaks of the French presence and whose title is: “Paradise lost”…. Not lost for everyone… a small preview in video: Late afternoon on the beach of Pondicherry