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SIX STAYS THAT REDEFINE HERITAGE IN PONDICHERRY

BY MANIDIPA MANDAL

Homestay

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VFM

GRATITUDE
If Pondicherry is your pilgrimage, this is where you should sequester yourself to reflect on flaneury. Restored by Intach la the determinedly convivial Hotel de lOrient, this retreat enjoins tranquillity. Past its fish-stamped threshold, this is a no-shoes, adults-only refugehosts Kakoli Banerjee and Jyoti Cariappa Saikia prefer not to subdue childrens free spirits to stillness. TARIFF from `2,500 CONTACT 0413-2225029, gratitudeheritage.in

MAISON PERUMAL
For understated luxury you cant do better than this exquisitely restored Tamil-quarter mansion. Traditional red-oxide and terrazzo-mosaic floors, colonial furniture, custom-designed textiles, artisanal ceramics and stained glass-shaded verandas integrate seamlessly with modern bathrooms and a lift. The menu-less courtyard restaurant serves traditional recipes, beautifully presented in contemporary style. TARIFF `6,940 CONTACT 0484-3011711, cghearth.com

ANANTHA HERITAGE
Grey columns topped with red and green flank the courtyards and verandas of this 18th-century building. A brass Ganesha welcomes you with marigold-sprinkled, vermillion-smeared trunk. There is no doubting this new seven-roomed propertys ethnic cred, but restraint and functionality highlight ittime-tested finishes on floors, walls unadorned but for milk-glass shades, small clusters of quietly classic furniture. TARIFF from `2,000 CONTACT 2220605, ananthaheritage.com

Contemporary

Ethical

Cosy

LA VILLA SHANTI
The newest address on the block launched just this month, Shanti offers 15 rooms in an old colonial French house. Its serene Ashram-grey faade hides clean-lined interiors inflected with splashes of colour and craftsmanship: a geru-orange Tamil message scrolls across a wall as a headboard; a platform bed has handmade tiles wrapping its base; terracotta tiles mosaic shower enclosures; a paisley mural hides in a closet. TARIFF from `7,000 CONTACT 4200028, lavillashanti.com
40 OUTLOOK TRAVELLER OCTOBER 2011

HOTEL CORAMANDAL
Bringing your conscience along on holiday? To ease it, put up at this 150-year-old Franco-Tamil home downtown. A hotel since 2008, it supports Natura Foundations projectsorganic farming in Cuddalore, solar energy in South Arcot, weavers housing in Kurinjipadi. Yes, its old-fashioned, with pilastered terrace, Indian hotel lobby sofa set and chandelier over a shaded courtyardbut thats what makes it so homey. TARIFF from `500 CONTACT 2260269, hotelcoramandal.in

VILLA INDRA
This unpretentious three-bedroom house on a residential street is entered through a whitepainted collapsible gateno aspirations to mimic a villa in Provence. A simple art deco sofa set furnishes a red-tiled living room. But ah, the petite roomsnamed for three of Indras many aliasesare charming; the colour-washed bathrooms are all about optimising beauty on a budget; the beds are quietly traditionaland the price is perfect. TARIFF `1,500 CONTACT