Which cities in India are most friendly to live?

NEGI RK Monday, February 01, 2021

Puducherry, as it’s called now, is certainly a great place to live in India if you don’t like city life. I’d also recommend some of the small towns in the hills of Uttarakhand, places like Mussuorie up north. They’re not freezing cold, and are absolutely gorgeous with rolling hills and the small town feel you get from all the Ruskin Bond books.

I couldn't live in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Bangalore, or any other large city for that matter. I enjoy the city for a few days, but that's all. They're simply too chaotic, populous, hectic, traffic-jammed and dirty for me.

There is one city I would definitely consider living in:

Pondicherry

Pondy--as it is affectionally called by those who live there--attracts various expats. Some of them come because of the presence of The Sri Aurobindo Ashram Others are French, and are drawn because Pondicherry used to be a French protectorate and therefore represents a bridge between France and India. Others simply stumble upon it and end up staying.

What makes Pondy so special is that you get an Indian town that is not as huge and sprawling as other metropolises, with the colourful, vibrant markets (including a fish market where wonderful seafood can be had at a reasonable price, if you can haggle--adu jaasti, ivalavu thaan taareen, inda miinukku...), the street food, the action. There is also the lovely expanse of the ocean, with a [relatively] clean promenade where one can stroll and smell the salty sea air.

Pondy is a dream place to be! Me and my Friend Spent 5 days with our family. We hired 2 Bullet Bikes and had a rollicking time!

Keep in mind that each individual is like no other on this whole planet. Our job then, is just to know that one person. We do that one at a time. Luckily, every person I met have this deep yearning to be understood and appreciated for what that person is. That makes the job easy except we must ask questions and then refrain from advicing. Does that make sense ?

And, there is the charming French quarter, where buildings are painted the yellow of a sun-ripened peach, enchanting against the cloud-wisped azure sky above, and where bougainvillea bushes burst onto streets from within courtyards with their unmistakable lilac, purple, or white bracts wreathing clusters of petite white flowers in a dazzling efflorescence.

The food is amazing. You can have dosai and idly, as well as buttery croissants; parathas as well as baguettes; butter chicken masala as well as coq au vin. And there are fusion restaurants--where mouth-watering Indo-French cuisine is served.

There is also Auroville nearby, a fascinating experimental town whose aim is the realisation of Human Unity.

Whether you consider yourself spiritual or not, most everyone agrees that the presence of the ashram, with its tall grey walls and lustrous teak louvres, emanates peace all around it, softening the atmosphere.