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Phil's Mondo India Slide Show Sights of Pondicherryt Pondicherrry is just an hour or two down the coast from Mahabalipuram, a beautiful ride in one of the prettiest areas in India. Pondicherry, as you may or may not know, is famous for the Indian Sage Aurobindo, and I stayed at his ashram hotel while I was there. Pondicherry was once colonized by the French, and lots of excellent French restaurants abound! This is the view of the ashram grounds from the Park Guest House, the nicest ashram guest house. The rooms were spotless, clean, together and extraordinarily cheap. They do prefer devotees or the spiritual inclined, yahoos need not apply. One does have to pass a cursory psychic test to be allowed to stay there. On the left is the guest house restaurant. A tremendous thunder and lightning storm ripped through Pondicherry as soon as I got there, which knocked out power to most of the neighborhood where I was staying, and it didn't turn on till the next morning. Here's a shot of the storm moving out to sea. Back Next Page 114.