The Return! (India, post pandemic...)

 Rather than trying to come up with my own description, I am going to "cheat" by offering this one to you all:   "Auroville forms an interesting and complex experiment that takes place on more than 20 sq kms of scattered settlements in the midst of forested, semi-urban, and beach areas. Auroville is not a tourist destination, it is a live-in campus for material and spiritual research spread over a vast area. Access to casual visitors is limited to certain areas but volunteers, students, and people who wish to collaborate or learn from Auroville are most welcome. Founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, also known as ‘The Mother’ {and close disciple of the revered guru, Aurobindo}, Auroville is an experimental township or a universal town. Designed by famous architect Roger Anger, Auroville is where people of different nationalities, cultures and beliefs live together in harmony." Hmmm. Well... like any organization, there is the ideal, and then there is the reality. During...

PONDICHERRY (AKA, PUDUCHERRY):   Like so many of the cities of India now, this one has two names. The reason why is so many of the cities have both the original name that existed BEFORE British colonization, AND the subsequent name given by the British because they were apparently too inept to pronouce the names of origin. Why the Indians tolerated this is anyone's guess...but perhaps they simply didn't have a choice? Thus it is that Bombay has reverted back to its original name of Mumbai, though Indians still use both; Bangalore is also known as Bangaluru; and Pondicherry is also now known as Puducherry. I guess both names are kept because, no matter what people know them as, either way they will be correct. But...it IS odd, to be sure!  In any event, Pondicherry is in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a (presumably!) 3 hour train ride south of Chennai. I say "presumably", because my train was SO late getting to Chennai, that the whole ordeal of waiting--then taking-...