Around Pondicherry

Following photos were taken while travelling by car from Bangalore to Pondy or Pondicherry or Puducherry. Photos relate to vendors, bazaars & shopkeepers etc trying to make a living. Most of them are illiterates or semi literates. Some of the street vendors come to tourist spots from long distances. In fact a vendor of purses & leather belts had come from Aligarh, UP by train to Pondy. He said that a group of five of them were in the town selling leather goods & had taken a room on rent in a nearby village 20 km away.                                                                                    

Pondy in fact is said to derive its name from a bazaar called Poduke or Poduca which is recorded as Roman trading destination from first century. Then there were Dutch, English & French traders. French East India Company established a trading centre here in 1674 & French held control until 1954 with brief intervention from English & Dutch. 

Boats in backwaters waiting for tourists

This small town is on NH-66 on way to Pondy & is as chaotic as any other in India   

Work force on the move under the Imli trees

Lower hoarding reads 'French Corner' implying thereby that Pondy is near 

Closed shops in the morning on the sea front. In the evening they sell bhel, chana murmura, pani puri, noodles & other local delicacies

This vehicle or Jugaad is operated by two barefooted gentlemen aged 25 & nearly 50. This palace on wheels has stocks of idols, photos of Gods, pooja items, some utensils & their meagre personal belongings. They play recorded devotional songs to attract people

Amma is preparing filter Kappi for us during a break on Eastern Coast Road somewhere near Chenglapattu     

Such Jugaad vehicles are found all over India. Desi engineering cheap & best

Dhabas & drivers do more for integrating India than is done by the politicians. Maharashtrian food & Punjabi dal tadka is available here with tandoori roti. This Reddy's Punjabi Dhaba was near Krishnagiri on NH-7 to Chennai. Reddy is the owner of this Dhaba & spoke Hindi besides Tamil & Kannada

Vendor of hot coffee & tea on sea front. On approaching a customer he softly announces in a lyrical tone 'Kapee-eyaa - Tea-eeyaaa' 

This fellow sells hot Kappi & Samosa on sea front. His bag contains paper plates, paper cups & chutney as well. Rs. 10/ each for a Kappi or a Samosa

Here is the astrologer, palmist & a card reader to tell you about your future for a princely sum of Rs. 25. Some stones & metallic rings are also available with him for sale which shall ward off evil-eye 

Hot Rasam on the go

Enjoy Pani Puri on sea front

Hot Kappi  

Enjoy ice cream

Rural scene - tower for cellphone, small solar panel, electric wires overhead. Three flags of which two are religious & one political. Bus stop under the tree

Lunch time

Fishermen toil hard during hot & humid day in small boats to catch fish