A REPORT

ON

“TOUR TO PONDICHERRY – AURO-

FOR 4th YEAR B.ARCH STUDENTS

Department of the architecture of Madhav Institute of Technology And Science

The visit was organized with the prior permission and guidance of Hon. Director
Dr. R.K Pandit and HOD of department Dr Anjali Shelke Patil

Students of 4th year B.Arch have taken hard efforts and initiative under the
continuous guidance of Ar. Satyam Shukla & Ar. Harshita Mishra, Tour in charge,
which made this visit a grand success with a group of a total of 66 students

Duration: 05/04/2022 to 13/04/2022

Places of visit:

⦁ Chennai, Tamil Nādu. (Valluvar kottam, Central Museum, Kapaleshwar

⦁ Mahabalipuram. (Crocodile park, Mahabalipuram temple, Shore beach).

⦁ Pondicherry (French Colony, Space Making Studio, Seafront develop-

⦁ Auroville (Matri mandir, Auroville beach).

Our journey to the southern region of India kick-started from Gwalior Junction. Confirmed sleeper class and
AC tickets at concessional rates were obtained for students in Train No (12622) Tamil Nadu Express. The
29hr long journey started with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. The hot and humid climate of southern
India was felt during the travel.

DAY 2 (06/04/2022 - Chennai Central Station

We reached Chennai central station on 06/04/2022 at 6;15 am. Many of us got excited to see the ocean for
the first time. The first place to visit in Chennai was Valluvar Kottam. Valluvar Kottam is a monument in Chen-
nai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet-philosopher Valluvar. It is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural center.

After taking Lunch we visited Government Museum Chennai. The Government Museum, Chennai, or
the Madras Museum, is a museum of human history and culture located in the Government Museum Com-
plex in the neighborhood of Egmore in Chennai, India. Started in 1851, it is the second oldest museum in In-
dia after the Indian Museum in Kolkata. The Museum grounds comprise six buildings and 46 galleries.

Amidst all, the huge Museum Theatre is one of the most remarkable buildings, structured in the Italianate
style after being influenced by the Classical architectural design. On the evening of day 2, we visited The
Kapaleshwar temple. Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Myl-
apore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The temple was built around the 7th century CE by the great Pallava kings. The Kapaleeshwarar temple is an
excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with the Gopuram ( gateway tower ) overpowering the street on
which the temple stands. There are two entrances to the temple marked by the Gopuram on either side. The
east Gopuram is about 40 m high, while the smaller Western Gopuram faces the sacred tank. Lastly in the
night, we visited Marina Beach. Marina beach in Chennai along the Bay of Bengal is India’s longest and the
world’s second-longest beach. The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations that make up
the Juhu Beach in Mumbai. The average width of the beach is 300 m (980 ft.)[7] and the width at the widest
stretch is 437 m (1,434 ft.). Marina beach is full of activity in the early morning hours and the evenings.
 DAY 3 (07/04/2022) –Visit Mahabalipuram & Reached
Pondicherry.

In the morning, after having breakfast, we left for Mahabalipuram. On the way, we first visited the Madras
Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT). This CrocBank aims to conserve nature and nat-
ural resources in the broadest sense, with a particular focus on the conservation of herpetofauna and their
habitats. Also, it establishes breeding, research, education, dissemination, transfer centers, field stations, and
other esta file:///E:/downloads/20220325171437_IMG_6509.JPG blishments focusing on ecological and
environmental issues.

Then we reached Mahabalipuram at 2 pm. Firstly we bought some stuff from the shops located near Shore-
Temple. Till then the weather got a bit pleasant as it got partly cloudy since the temple is along the coastline,
where cloudy and rainy weather is quite common.

After that, we went to The Shore Temple (built-in 700–728 AD), which is so named because it overlooks the
shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century
AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava
dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 1984. It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples in South India.
Shore temple is a complex of temples and shrines.

As the Shore Temple was initially identified as part of the Seven Pagodas at Mahabalipuram, an ancient Hin-
du legend referred to the origin of these pagodas in mythical terms. Prince Hiranyakasipu refused to worship
the god Vishnu

Both shore temple and panchrath are constructed in Dravidian architecture style.

After visiting this beautiful temple, we proceeded towards the shore temple beach which pleases the eyes of
the visitors with its peaceful ambiance. It feels so relaxing listening to the shores of the waves and witnessing
the elegantly carved rock-cut sculptures. It presents a perfect scene of nature and art at once.

Till 6 pm we enjoyed alongside the beach, and then after having our meal, we left for Pondicherry. We
reached there in the night and got ourselves accommodated there at the hotel.
 DAY 4 (08/04/2022) –Pondicherry local site seeing

Site Description (Pondicherry): Pondicherry (or Puducherry), a French colonial settlement in India until 1954,
is now a Union Territory town bounded by southeastern Tamil Nadu state. Its French legacy is preserved
in its French Quarter, with tree-lined streets, mustard-colored colonial villas, and, chic boutiques. A seaside
promenade runs along the Bay of Bengal and passes several statues, including a 4m-high Gandhi Memorial.
After taking breakfast, we took the bus to the paradise beach.
The beach is on the northern side of the town and the way to reach it makes it even more interesting. The
beach is next to the Chunnambar Estuary, and the access is via a 15-20 minute boat ride.
The striking feature of the beach is the cleanliness of the area. The sand too seems to have a very distinct
shade of white and the clear blue sea makes the area look scenic.

There are stalls selling tender coconuts and two restaurants serving snacks and drinks. The beach has safe
areas marked and there are lifeguards available.
 DAY 4 (9/04/2022) Auroville visit
Site Description (Auroville, TN): On our fourth day we visited Auroville (City of Dawn). Auroville (City of Dawn)
is an experimental township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1968
by Mirra Alfassa (known as “The Mother”) and designed by architect Roger Anger. As stated in Alfassa’s first
public message about the township, Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all
countries can live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics, and all nationalities. The
purpose of our visit to Auroville is to realize human unity as well as architectural practices.
The visit started from the Visitor’s Center followed by Kala Kendra, Shri Aurobindo Center for Studies- India
& the World, Auditorium, SAWCHU. Then we had their authentic south Indian food prepared by volunteers
of Auroville. Later on, we visited Savitri Bhawan, Matri` Mandir viewpoint which is located at the center of the
township, and lastly talked with Ar. Lalit Kishore Bhati at
NANDANAM SCHOOL (Auroville).
This visit was successful with the kind efforts of Ar. Ram Rasayan Sir.

the outcome of the Auroville Visit:

Site Description (Promenade beachfront, Pondicherry): Out of all the beaches in Pondicherry, Promenade
Beach, also referred to as Pondicherry Beach, Rock Beach, and Mahatma Gandhi Beach, is one of its kind
of beach that is popularly known for its azure waters, beautiful coastline, and cozy ambiance. We had our
lunch at the popular Le Café restaurant, famous for its mouthwatering coffee and a variety of seafood dishes.
This beach also hosts several other restaurants that are widely famous for serving authentic traditional food
to everyone.
On this 1.5 km long beach, there are significant landmarks that catch everyone’s attention at the beach.
These include the old Heritage Townhall, Dupleix’s Statue, the old lighthouse, the War Memorial, the statue
of Mahatma Gandhi, etc.
Under the abled guidance of Ar. Satyam Shukla, we had a chance to observe and understand different points
of focus of Boulevard town, in the urban context, which eventually became the most exciting and insightful
experience of our Pondicherry trip.
After that, we were blessed to visit Eden beach. Eden Beach is situated in Chinna Veerampattinam near
Puducherry. It is the first beach from the Union Territory to get the Blue Flag tag. 

DAY 6 (11/02/2020) – Train from Chennai to Gwalior

Our journey to the southern region of India was a great experience. Returning Confirmed sleeper classes at
concessional rates were obtained for students in Train No (12269) Duronto Express. The 24hr long journey
was full of excitement and memories. The cold and dry climate of northern India was felt during the travel. We
reached Gwalior station on 11/04/2020 at 6 am.
We all are thankful to our Institute and Faculties for their constant support in making this trip possible.