Design
CGH Earth Residence de l’Evėché: Piquant colours of the Franco-Tamilian find life at the 200-year old villa
MAR 31, 2024 | By Sakshi Shrivastava
After a trip of nine hours, two flights and a long tiring layover, as I entered the French quarter of Pondicherry, the bright yellows and blues of the buildings felt like a breath of fresh air. The pink bougainvillaeas around the big curved doors and the symmetry of the houses set a beautiful tone for the next two days.
Set in the French Colony, where once lived the French Governor, stands this 200-year-old, dusty pink building with a big blue door — Residence de l’Evėché by CGH Earth. Dating back to the 1790s, it is a restored private villa that comes with a single-key concept. A three-bedroom home with an open courtyard in the centre is decked up with vintage art, prints and sculptures.
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From the wooden partition in the living room to the modular kitchen, the hint of bright blue remains constant. Each room had a homely feeling to it. The whitewashed walls create a surreal backdrop to the period furniture, combined with refurbished interiors of colonial grace. The “no-menu” notion aims at achieving a home-like feeling. Passed on from a French family to a Bengali family, Residence de l’Evėché is a perfect blend of cultures.
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The Tamil palate
As I sat for my first meal at the property, Tamil cuisine is a palette I had never experienced before. The prawn curry, mint butter chicken, rice, kela upkari, rasam, pickle and papad left me craving for more. Rasam with breakfast, lunch and dinner was something I had only heard of, but now I know – just can’t get enough of it! The on-call-skilled chef, specialised in preparing delectable dishes from the distinctive Franco-Tamilian cuisine certainly adds a memorable touch to the culinary experience.
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Additionally, a short distance away from the villa’s picturesque quarters lies the famous Promenade Beach, which acts as a nice breather. A trip to Pondicherry remains incomplete without a visit to the experimental utopian township of Auroville, where one forgets about their phone, social media and all materialistic things because of how peaceful it is.
The last morning, as I bid farewell to Pondicherry, my heart yearned for the comforting palette of authentic rasam and the vibrant hues that painted my soul. Until I visit again, I’ll cherish the memories and eagerly await the day I can return to its homely abode.
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