Adventures in Pondicherry
Written by: Hasita Pola
After camp ended, the bakery and design team got the opportunity to go to Pondicherry with Sruti Akka. For many months leading up to camp, the bakery team and I wanted to gain a better understanding of the baking industry in India, so we planned a trip to Pondicherry, where we could deepen our knowledge of various kinds of baked goods and truly understand what the Indian market was like.
Once the last geckos left camp on July 14th, our journey to Pondy began. As camp officially ended, Aswi and Namita akka were disheartened that we hadn’t finished painting the bakery. Determined, they spent the final moments before our departure to Pondicherry holed up in the bakery, painting away. Soon, a few aunties noticed them and joined in to help. It was such a heartwarming moment. When we first started, we had no idea what to expect. But as time passed, all the volunteers came together to bring the bakery to life with color. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we were able to finish up our bakery painting!
As soon as we finished painting, we said goodbye to Ammagaru, the aunties and uncles, and we hopped in the car and set off for Pondicherry. After 3 hours of driving, our first stop was the Afsanah Guest House in Auroville. By the time we arrived, dusk had already fallen, but stepping into Afsanah felt surreal. The guest house radiated a calming, zen-like atmosphere, completely contrasting with the hectic morning at Haritachala. Being there instantly soothed our nerves, leaving us feeling relaxed and at peace.
After a quick check-in, dropping off our bags, and the receptionist asking if I was 13 years old (for reference, I was 18), we headed to our first restaurant: Tanto’s Pizzeria. Known for serving authentic Italian food, it came highly recommended, and we had high expectations. As I browsed the menu, one item immediately caught my eye: they offered pizza dough made from spelt! Spelt, an ancient grain Tanvi and I often use for baking in the US, was uncommon in India, whereas Khapli (another ancient grain) was more popular. Naturally, we had to try it. The pizza was good, though the spelt flavor wasn’t particularly distinct; it still hit the spot. Once we finished eating, we headed back to Afsanah and got a full night's rest, ready for the jam-packed day ahead.
Day 1
The next day, we woke up, got ready, and headed to the first bakery of our trip: Auroville Bakery. It’s one of the largest bakeries in the Pondicherry-Tiruvannamalai region, known for its wide variety of baked goods. We even met the owner, who told us that if we returned in January or February, he would let us work in the bakery to gain hands-on experience running it. I was thrilled; opportunities like this don’t come around often, especially after we had an unfavorable experience with a bakery in Tiruvannamalai, and his willingness to help made it even more special. We ordered three items at the bakery: a mozzarella cheese and tomato quiche, a cheese croissant, and their best-selling chocolate cake. The cake, unfortunately, was a bit dry and not as chocolatey as we had hoped, but everything else was decent.
Afterwards, we went to Naturellement, a restaurant in Auroville, for a proper meal... but let’s just say it wasn’t exactly memorable. The food was so interesting that I can’t recall what we ate or how it tasted! However, the views made up for it, and we made the most of our time by having a little photo shoot, soaking in the beautiful greenery around us.
We then headed to the Auroville Visitor’s Center, where we explored the local shops. We saw a lot of unique art, pottery, and clothes, which sparked new ideas. Inspired by the creativity around us, we discovered different ways to incorporate pressed flowers, whether in decorative frames, handmade cards, jewelry, or even on fabric. Each piece of art we encountered opened our minds to the endless possibilities of blending nature with craftsmanship. Once we finished shopping, we returned to Afsanah to freshen up and then headed to La Villa, a restaurant in Pondicherry.
Unlike Natural Element, I vividly remember La Villa. More specifically, their Corn-Coated Crispy Fried Prawns, which were absolutely delicious! They were perfectly crunchy on the outside, yet juicy on the inside, bursting with flavor. We also tried the Coconut Curry, which was rich, creamy, and satisfying. For dessert, we had their Vanilla Pannacotta, served with a unique strawberry and red pepper sorbet. The pannacotta was smooth and bouncy, and, surprisingly, the red pepper sorbet tasted delicious. La Villa was the perfect way to end our first day in Pondicherry!
Day 2
We woke up early the next day, got ready, and headed to the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. As soon as we entered the Ashram, there were so many flowers bursting with color. We paid our respects to Sri Aurobindo and sat in silence for some time. We then checked out the bookstore and headed out.
Our next stop was the beach, but along the way, we stumbled upon a charming little bakery called Bread & Chocolate that advertised sourdough pizza. Naturally, we made a quick detour. The bakery was cozy, offering various baked goods, jams, and pasta. We couldn’t resist checking out their packaging, but we quickly agreed ours was way better! Unfortunately, they weren’t serving the sourdough pizza yet since it was still early in the morning. Instead, we tried their sourdough sandwich to get a sense of their bread. Visiting Bread & Chocolate was unplanned, but it was a fun experience.
This time, after eating, we finally made it to the beach, where the breeze felt amazing and the weather was just perfect. While there, we dreamed about the future, how we’d love to open a branch of Haritachala bakery in Pondy, right in front of the beach, and daydreamed with excitement. Hopefully, in the future we will be able to make our dreams come true. We then made our way to Villa Shanti for lunch. At Villa Shanti, we indulged in a delicious and absolutely satisfying meal. For dessert, we headed to our final stop, Coromandel Cafe, where we tried their pistachio cheesecake and banana bread. It didn’t take long for us to decide that our banana bread was ten times better. The cheesecake was a bit heavy for our taste, but otherwise, it was a fine ending to the day.
Before we knew it, our Pondy trip had come to an end. We learned so much along the way. First, I gained confidence that our baked goods were far better and more delicious than the ones we had tried, and I also got a clearer understanding of the baked goods sold across India. On the design front, we realized that our packaging is more eye-catching and stands out more compared to what we saw in Pondy. This entire Pondy trip gave us a much-needed boost of confidence and left us feeling uplifted and recharged. That said, we still have a long way to go, and we can't wait to see what the future holds!