Indo-French vs Indo-Portuguese & etc.!

(Goa) + [Tirupati - Mahabalipuram - (Pondicherry) - Chennai]

The last month of the year 2023 saw a lot of Indo-Portuguese and Indo-French history in my travels. I started the month by walking down the lanes of Goa and then ended it by doing the same in Pondicherry! And that is when this idea struck me - why not write about the resemblance and differences between the two places? i.e. instead of doing what I generally do which is making a diary of sorts.

The 'cross' seems to be a common theme in both Goa & Pondicherry. This picture is in Goa.

Poppy bright streets of Goa and Pondicherry !

The similarities in the architecture patterns of the old Portuguese buildings in Goa and that of French buildings or houses in Puducherry striked me the most. The blend of Indo-European style is very evident in both.

...Goa

The bright colours pop up in the cultural nooks of Fontainhas in Goa and just the same in the White Town of Pondicherry. The houses are generally very symmetrical with neat corners, large casement windows and grand facades. Raised foundations, wrought iron balconies, vaulted ceilings are some of the common influences that are seen in these French and Portuguese houses. The very Indian style of louvred windows and stucco plasters also find their expressions in some of these architectural blends. To add to that, the shades of pastels just bring the pages of history to life!

...Pondicherry

Whilst yellow ochre is the most dominant colour in both, you find a lot of olive green, poppy red and dovey blues, neatly rimmed by white borders. Even if you don't care much about the history, these streets are a delight to the eyes.

...Pondicherry

The History Bug !

And if history intrigues you, then you would be stunned by their further similarities ….

Both started their journey as Union Territory. Whilst Puducherry remains as a UT, Goa has claimed the status of an independent state since 1987.

Fishing boats in Goa; tiny backwater meeting the sea

Whilst Goa provided an excellent harbour to the Portuguese in India, Pondicherry was developed as a port town by the French. Goa was the first territorial possession of Portugal in the East and served as their main base for more than four and a half centuries! On the other hand, the French established their settlement in Pondicherry (Goa already taken by the Portuguese by then) and developed it into a thriving port town. 

Pondicherry rocky beach

In a way, both Goa and Pondicherry had their inception as fishing villages in India and then later turned out to be major trading centres for these European settlements. The timelines though vary a lot. The Portuguese were the first to arrive and had a monopoly on trade and business across the Indian ocean for a good while. Later the French arrived, followed by the British. The Dutch also tried to get their teeth into it which was a blow to the Portuguese at one point.

Sunset from Aguada Fort, Goa

History has it, the European countries waged many wars for their fair share of Indian trade. Needless to say, those were the glorious, resourceful days of India when everyone wanted a piece of its pie!

For the Foodie in you…

Whilst both the places sit right by the sea (Goa is on the Arabian coast and Pudu is on the Bay of Bengal), the culinary dominance is much influenced by the history and the geography of the places. Goa is primarily about rice and fish. Huge display of fish arrays steals the show in every other restaurant and you do find a lot of seafish restaurants in Goa.

At The Fisherman's Wharf

One of the most commonly available dishes in Goa is cafreal which is a thick, dry sauce made of coriander, mint herbs and spices. The use of vinegar is also very prominent in this place. Whilst fish in Goan diet is influenced by the geographic positioning of the area i.e. the proximity of the sea, many other the vindaloo preparation is influenced by the Portuguese history of the place.

More Fish scenes from Goa. A continental fusion with Indian spices

They introduced cashew nuts and tomatoes in the cuisine. Cashews play a huge role in Goa now, as it's not only one of the most important exports, but also used widely in many dishes all over the country. The wine made out of cashew called feni is a signature of Goa.

At The Fisherman's Wharf

Pondicherry is however heavily influenced by all the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and also the French. What results is a classic combination of Dosas with meat fillings and cheese much like crepes and other similar fusion.

Pondicherry Patisserie loot !

The place is dotted with many French cafes and bakeries like Le club, le petit four etc. There are only a very few places in India which do good French food and Pondicherry is definitely one of them. The Coq au vin or the apple chassueures or even the croissants and chocolat molteaux that you find here are very authentic; they taste very much like how they taste in France.

A cheesy bake on the Pondicherry Promenade

However, in the true spirit of diversity you even get North Indian food in Pudu, along with a lot of Italian dishes like spaghetti and pizzas. The obviousness of this is a bit more subtle in Goa as you would get constantly dazzled by the displays of hundreds of fish variants!

And this too, in Pondicherry. Very cosmopolitan.

Coastal Scenery…

I am a bit conflicted between the two places if you ask me to choose. Whilst Pondicherry has that classic French promenade going along the coast, Goa is more virgin.

And sometimes, it doesn't matter where we are :)

The Pondicherry coastline is protected by man made boulders and rocks and rightfully so, as the wild Bay of Bengal keeps crashing its crazy waves on them. The wide promenade that runs along the coast sees a lot of joggers throughout the day as it is a no-car zone. What a relief to the eyes and ears! How wonderful it would be to have the whole world a no-car, no-honking zone!

Choppy Bay of Bengal in Pondicherry

The coastline in Goa is still in its purest form as it has less of a danger from the comparatively calmer Arabian Sea. The rocky and rugged cliffs, wide sandy beaches, flat sea provide the perfect landscape for hiking, surfing, swimming and beach running! It is definitely an ideal hub for all adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers who love the raw beauty of Mother Nature.

Goa Activity Scene!

Time to tell though, how unadulterated these coastlines will remain with the growing commercialism of today’s world.

My Personal Highlight !

• Goa - it has to be the river marathon organised by Sky, the quaint beaches in North Goa and the house we stayed in Bogmalo, a little village near the Dabolim airport.

• The Ashwem and Morjim beach has a polarly opposite sense of serenity compared to the loud party vibe in Baga. Loved the casual runs on the beach here and dips in the sea in Morjim!

Planning for a dip in the sea...

• In Bogmalo, the village was very peaceful with the coast being only a few metres away. The homestay owner had the kindest heart and most polite demeanour.

Quirky house paint in our homestay!

• The marathon route was beautiful, running all along the river, going a bit inland into a little island over a bridge at one point, lined up by big trees. The end celebration was also worth it with people playing dhak-s and dancing to the rhythm! It was very hot and humid though. And I will use that as an excuse for my appalling performance at the run!

First you run and then we dance!

• Pondicherry - it has to be the promenade and the patisserie! The wide promenade had such a fresh vibe to it, especially early in the morning. And the patisserie lies just on the promenade - very convenient ! It simply pushes your legs to stretch out into a jog and then reward the effort with a feast at the bakery later!

Tempting smoothness...

• Mahabalipuram - I know I haven’t mentioned anything about this place so far in this post, (mostly because I am lazy and also wanted to do more of a comparison study here!!) but definitely worth a visit. A short drive to/from Pondicherry/Chennai. This place is dotted with rustic heritage architecture from the 7th and 8th century (part of UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Heritage Site; Depiction of - Descent of the Ganga River

Apart from the architectural delight, the backwater flows into Mahabalipuram and it offers a serene beach - very different vibe from Pondi and Goa. So, if you want a calm and quiet sea experience, then this is the beach to be. Also, this is a good place to learn surfing.

No light in this beach except the Sun and the Moon :)

My favourite memory of this place is - when we went to the beach early one morning, the tide was out. We crossed over the beach to the next cove (slightly cut off and secluded) with toe deep water and by the time we turned to come back to the main beach, the water was filling up fast, reaching up to our knees by then.

A must visit!

Little tidal island...

A suggestive Itinerary (that we followed) 

There are just hundreds of things and ways to explore these places. I would strongly urge anyone to follow your own heart and pocket! (cause, both the places are going to pinch quite hard!)

Goa

Day 1 - South Goa - Bogmalo

Day 2 - South Goa - Utorda, Majorda, etc.

Day 3 - Old Goa - Aguada Fort, St. Francis Xavier, Fontainhas, White Church

Day 4 - North Goa - Ashwem, Morjim, Arambol, Baga, etc.

Day 5 - North Goa - Anjuna, Vagator (Chopra Fort), etc.

Day 6 - Baga & back home!

Pondicherry 

Day 1 - Kolkata -> Chennai -> Tirumalai

Day 2 - Tirupati 

Day 3 - Tirupati -> Kanchipuram -> Mahabalipuram

Day 4 - Mahabalipuram 

Day 5 - Mahabalipuram -> Pondicherry

Day 6 - Pondicherry

Day 7 - Pondicherry 

Day 8 - Pondicherry -> Chennai

Day 9 - Chennai -> Kolkata

Kanchipuram