By Rahul Banerji
Nights at Manjakuppam village not far from the Pondicherry border are a cascade of sounds, not silence. Between the birds and the boats, there is plenty to entertain the ear, want it or not!
The barn owls are the first to give voice, even as sleep beckons. Quiet as mice through the day, they come out as darkness falls, gliding like little ghosts in search of a meal.
All’s well for a while with only the drone of a faraway car or truck on the East Coast Road to break the silence. But just as the clock ticks past the midnight hour, the owls come alive with full-throated vigour.
From then on it’s a succession of ever-louder screeches and hoots, mixed with the distant wails of a blighter I never got to identify.
Still and all, the sounds tend to get repetitive and lull one towards Nod. Only till it is time for the boats to head out.
Manjakuppam – largely inhabited by carpenters – sits between two fishing villages that send their vessels out at almost exactly 4 in the morning. Every day.
Motors ahoy
As the boats head for open water, the engines are muted, an idling purr. Closer to the fishing grounds, the nets go out and the motors begin to take the weight of the trawl.
Beating and reaching, to and fro the boats go along the shoreline. By now the purr has given way to a heavy growl that goes on and on, louder if the night is a profitable one and the nets are filling.
Again, monotony kicks in and heads fall back on pillows.
But the village will have its say too. Five o’clock is time for the temple to remind one and all that the gods need to be acknowledged. As loudly as possible.
A speaker mounted on high does its pious duty and at full volume.
On odd days, an enthusiastic deejay takes over and the acme of his recent efforts was a song whose refrain went something like “Hello, Dil-Do”.
At 5.45 am, saying hello anybody is asking to be shot, but Hello Dil-Do is really taking things a bit too far.
From then on, it’s downhill all the way with cuckoos, parrots, crows and the odd kingfisher joining in the medley. After a few weeks of this bedlam though, I have to admit it is preferable to a quiet night.
Because then you lie awake, trying to guess what will come along to jerk the eyelids open next.
Auroville
No visit to Pondicherry is complete without a mandatory trip to Auroville, the universal society conceptualised and set up by the co-founder of the Aurobindo Ashram, the Mother.
Auroville (Auroville in brief) now largely operates under the local administration but still has its own set of rules and regulations that seek to follow – and expand on – the Mother’s vision.
Built on what was once sun-blasted red rock and soil, it is today a verdant and vibrant settlement that has become a centre for research in areas that are relevant to the society of the future.
There’s equally a sense of purposefulness and serenity among the few inmates we come across as visiting gawkers,
Most impressive of all are the trees. Visiting Auroville for the first time in close to 50 years, it’s the greenery that stands out. In 1973, all I remember was heat and acres of bare red earth.
Today, that expanse of red soil is covered with vegetation and stately vegetation that shades, cools and soothes.
The gravel walks are lined by trees that soar into the sunny sky and tunnels of vine-covered frame on the way for the nerve centre of the settlement, Matrimandir.
And yes, the innovative structure does indeed resemble a giant golden, slightly squished, golf ball.
Lahiri back in it
The golf world has meanwhile continued on its stately way and later on Thursday night, Anirban Lahiri tees off on another attempt to resurrect his fortunes.
The Bangalorean has struggled to find consistent form on his return to the PGA Tour after a break at home.
In his two 2021 starts, Lahiri has finished tied 62nd at the Sony Open in Hawaii despite sitting in the top 10 after day three with rounds of 69, 65 and 64 before disappointing 74 on the Sunday.
The following week, he missed the cut at the American Express in La Quinta, California, with cards of 68 and 73.
Having held on to his card thanks to the wraparound season, Lahiri has to find a more consistent frame of mind, first of all.
He will be playing the first two rounds of the $7.5 million Farmers Insurance Open at San Diego alongside Alex Noren of Sweden and Australian Tim Wilkinson.
Marc Leishman of Australia will defend his Southern California title at Torrey Pines, which later in the year will also host the US Open.
Others in the field include 2019 winner Justin Rose, Jon Rahm, the 2017 champion, world no. 6 Xander Schauffele; no. 7 Rory McIlroy; and no. 12 Brooks Koepka.
Asian hopes will ride on Si Woo Kim, who ended a four-year title wait last Sunday for his third PGA Tour victory at The American Express.
The Korean birdied two of the last three holes to edge Patrick Cantlay by one shot, pgatour.com said.
Also read: Pondicherry Diary: Oh the lovely bakers of Auroville!
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.