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| OUR PLACE |
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If your project is in South-India, chances are that you'll be staying in our own AMAIDI Guesthouse. Even if your project is more than a day's journey away, you'll probably start off at AG before undertaking your onward journey towards your final destination, where you'll be given accommodation by your host organization. Projects further away, located in the middle and north of India, will see you coming straight from the nearest airport, without making a detour to the south, to Tamil Nadu or Puducherry where AMAIDI Guesthouse and Office, respectively, are situated.
AMAIDI Guesthouse is a small cottage guesthouse with a homely atmosphere. There are three one storey buildings, two of which are in use as guest facility; the third one is currently being used as an office for AMAIDI staff, volunteers and interns.
 AMAIDI Guesthouse is located in the hamlet of Bharathi Nagar (click here), close to the fishermen's village Periya Mudaliar Chavadi and the International Township of Auroville, about 6 kilometers north of Puducherry. It takes about 3 hours by taxi or 4-5 hours by bus to cover the 140 kilometers from Chennai Airport to the guesthouse.
AMAIDI Guesthouse is situated at the left side end of 2nd Cross Street in Bharathi Nagar, a cement road that leads to a large orchard with coconut-, cashew- and teak trees. AMAIDI's neighbors are local inhabitants, who are relatively new to the area, which was used as agricultural land until the first houses arose some 15 years ago. The area formerly belongs to the municipality of Kottakuppam, a small town a few kilometers towards Puducherry.
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| IN AND AROUND |
In the larger area surrounding AMAIDI Guesthouse, you will find a number of smaller and larger restaurants, catering to the needs of the many tourists visiting this area close to Auroville and Puducherry. Popular names are: Beach Café, Pizza Roof, Tibetan Corner, Third Eye, all on walkable distance, and Roma's Kitchen, located in the Auroville community 'Auromodèle'. Furthermore along the East Coast Road along the seashore towards Puducherry, there are lots of local establishments catering to the local population and tourist alike.
 AMAIDI Guesthouse is one of the many - in quality strongly varying - guesthouses in and close to Auroville. Most guesthouses in Auroville - from first class Western blend guest facilities to more homely, lower cost arrangements - receive foreign tourists either connected with Aurovillians or interested in (participating in) the Auroville lifestyle. The guesthouses more close to the beach, breath an atmosphere of backpacking and laid back lifestyle, typical for the young Western travelers coming on a shoestring or Indian tourists. There are guesthouses in all price- and service categories: the one offering first rate, luxurious accommodation with daily three meals served to 'capsules' (huts on granite pillars) with no meals served. Sometimes there's a possibility to cook your own meals in a simple kitchen. Toilets and bathrooms - in many places outside - are common.
 Beach! Yeah, we're so close to it that you can almost see it from the top of AMAIDI Guesthouse. Had the top been a bit higher, that is ;-). Here's what you do: walk (10") or drive (5") down Auroville Main Road to the ECR (East Coast Road), down the hill. You'll find yourself close to Beach Café, opposite of which a road continues straight through the beach village Periya Mudaliar Chavadi (don't mind the name). Two hundred meters later, you find yourself before the gate of Repos, one of Auroville's beach communities. In most cases the watchmen will let you go through, if not, there is a way around (literally, at the left side of it) and you end up at the same spot: Auro Beach, as it is known amongst tourists. Repos, open for beach visitors from about 8 am till 7 pm, has a wonderful juice bar, where you can have a delicious 'curd bowl' or 'summer salad' for lunch, next to the fresh seasonal fruit juices. The hammocks are a must, to chill out after spending a few hours at the beach. But mind you: the sun can be nasty, even on a cloudy day, so bring your sun-blocker! And the current can be tricky too, so watch out, especially when you're not a trained swimmer. Finally, there are sometimes 'beach parties' at night at Auro Beach, but watch out: the local police thinks that tourists should be sleeping after dark, and when you're discovered, it's better to heed their words and consider the party 'closed for the night'. Be careful with alcohol consumption (at the beach).
AMAIDI Guesthouse neighbors the International Township of Auroville, as mentioned earlier. Handy hotspots are the bakery, with lovely croissants and healthy wheat bread; the post office, the money exchange, ice cream parlor and the State Bank of India (incl. ATM) in the neighboring village of Kuilapalayam; the Auroville Health Center (5 minutes drive); our travel partner Travelers' Choice (on Auroville Main Road, close to the guesthouse) and the Auroville Information Center (15 minutes drive).
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| Puducherry |
Its origin is from the Tamil language. Putu (new) Ceri (village). Since 2006, the Government of India - in dialogue with the local inhabitants - has decided to rename Pondicherry in 'Puducherry', more in line with the historical meaning of the town before the French took over.
Puducherry consists of four enclaves of former French India. Today they are part of a small Union Territory of India, and many maps (still) carry the name of Pondicherry under each of them. The inhabitants - in spite of the name change - persist in calling the town 'Pondi'. The area of all four enclaves is approximately 190 square miles (73 km2). The capital is Puducherry Town located in the state of Tamil Nadu. Population is approximately 1 million. The only unifying factor for the enclaves is the Hindu religion. Industries include agriculture, food processing, textiles, handicrafts and tourism. The enclaves were given to India in 1956, but formal acceptance took until 1962. Today, they are governed by the Central Government of India, though it has been suggested that they become parts of the states which surround them.
 Puducherry Town is the former chief settlement of France in India. Karaikal is also on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal as is Yanam, an enclave in Andhra Pradesh. Mahe is located in the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, in Kerala. All are highly regarded resort areas today. Until 1949 Chandannaga, a town near Calcutta, was under French control as well. It is now part of the state of West Bengal.
Puducherry was founded in 1675 as a trade center. The land was purchased from a local ruler. Legend associates Pondi with sage Agastya who came here from the north, and was once called Vedapuri and the seat of Vedic culture. A nearby archeological site at Arikamedu suggests trade between India and Rome and Greece existed in the period of 100 BCE and 100 CE. Today, Puducherry remains a seaport, seaside resort and tourist center. However, the main focus is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram (religious retreat) and Auroville. The Ashram was founded in 1926. Sri Aurobindo was a great seer, poet and revolutionary, using 'supramental' yoga as a means to peace, tranquility, and insight. He is also credited with assisting in inspiring India's independence. He died in 1950. Nearby Auroville was founded in 1968 by 'The Mother', Sri Aurobindo's spiritual companion, as a place where all races, religions, and cultures may live in peace and harmony. Guest houses at the Ashram encourage visitors to stay at this interactive place of enlightenment. The French influence continues to this day. Examples include the oval shaped city center with right-angled street intersections, and the boulevard that encircles the main part of town, architecture of the 18th and 19th century Christian churches and public buildings, a promenade along the beach, and even a statue of Joan of Arc. Viewed from the sea, the skyline is typical of that of a French Mediterranean village. The hallmark of Puducherry is the flat-topped cylindrical red kepi -- a hat worn by the police.
 The climate is tropical - which means hot and humid. The monsoon is active in this part of India from October through December. The southwest monsoon that deluges western India may produce only a few scattered showers here. The warmest part of the year is the April-August period when temperature may hit 43°C! Average temperatures are much lower with 24°C typical of January and 30°C for June.
When the French left Pondicherry, they offered the citizens of Pondicherry a choice of whether they wanted to become an Indian citizen or stay a French citizen. Though most became Indian citizens, quite a few chose to stay French. They became French even though they have never seen France and it didn't even necessitate their moving to France. A person born into a household of French citizen is also a French citizen. They are eligible for French social security and such French luxuries from the government even though they live a few thousand miles from France. They get to vote in French elections. The biggest advantage though is societal. The best Indian women or men in Pondicherry choose the French as spouses as that is the only way to become French citizens if not being born into it. There are about 10,000 French nationals of local origin in Puducherry.
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