Celebrating the heritage of Puducherry in all its aspects natural, spiritual, cultural and architectural, 1st February will see the start of the month-and-half-long, ninth edition of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival (PHF).
For The Good Of All
This year&rsquos festival will focus on Responsible Tourism and how holidays can be transformed into more meaningful immersive experiences with greater awareness of a tourist&rsquos actions toward the locals and the natural environment. The particular theme has been chosen as the need to end mindless tourism has become imperative. There is distress caused all around due to littering, rise in crime, deterioration of authenticity, traffic congestion, and the pressure on a place&rsquos infrastructure as it deals with the influx of tourists only intent on using resources. PHF will funnel ways and means to capitalise instead on the economic benefits, the preservation of natural areas, and the promotion of culture and heritage.
Parts Of A Whole
Amble through the Crafts Bazaar, which will showcase the work of crafts persons from across India, while Made in Pondicherry (MIP) will display the creations of local designers and artisans. For more inclusive and active participation, you can join cycle tours, food walks, boat rides around mangroves, kayaking for a trash-free planet, etc. Children and young adults can be a part of PHF via the specially crafted program Creative Expression by Children and also attend the Learning Through Nature workshops.
At restored heritage locations, you can attend performances by renowned dancers Anita Ratnam and Meera Das and musician Amrit Ramanath. Or, attend a book launch and a poetry evening with English and Tamil poets from Pondicherry and Auroville. There are also talks and seminars on diverse language, literature, culture, diversity and inclusion topics.
Preserve And Protect
In order to initiate sustained efforts in developing an environment where all can benefit and thrive, PHF will include and be supported by the Government of Puducherry&rsquos Department of Tourism Puducherry&rsquos, the local communities, and People for Pondicherry&rsquos Heritage (PPH), INTACH and PondyCAN, and partners. The organisers believe that celebrating Puducherry&rsquos unique heritage will become a significant part of people&rsquos lives. And the visitors to Puducherry treasure its specialness and make their visit a living example of responsible tourism.
The Information
What The 9th Pondicherry Heritage Festival.
Where Puducherry.
When 1st February to 15th March.
How to get there
The closest airport is Chennai, around 135 kilometres from Puducherry, and is approximately a two-and-a-half-hour journey.
The Trichy airport is 220 kilometres, and the Bengaluru airport is 320 kilometres away.
All three airports are well connected to the rest of the country.
For more information, check the website, and this.
