Home » South India Tourism » Pondicherry
Pondicherry
Pondicherry town is a surprise in India. This you'll realise as you pass through well-laid, wide streets carrying French names and kept unpolluted & clean. A French past is still present. Pondicherry cheers the heart of the romantic. With grand boulevards and quiet promenades. You'll be greeted with large bouquets of bougainvillea hanging over the ivory-coloured walls of colonial mansions.
Pondicherry with its ashram charm, is sought out by the peace-seeker. And with its safe and secluded beaches, by the tan-seeker. Pondicherry is richly cosmopolitan. A staggering number of 55 languages are spoken here by an easy, relaxed set of people. Pondicherry is a favourite hunting ground for the shop-hopper.
Pondicherry has a rich French cultural heritage, having been the capital of the French colonies in India since the 17th century. Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam and mahe were transferred to the Indian union in 1954.
This French legacy is visible in the well-Planned town, neatly laid roads, wide and vibrant beaches, beautiful promenades, architecturally imposing churches and public buildings and the statues of joan of ark and joseph Francois colonies in India from 1742-54. The town also has an alliance Francaise and the French institute. Among the notable French personalities who left their indelible mark on Pondicherry, four names stand out.
If you are tired of the rat race that today's world has become and are in search of inner peace, harmony and spirituality, then Pondicherry is the place to come to. It has been seat of learning and Vedic culture since ancient times and was also the home of the great Hindu sage Agastya. Pondicherry mystic spirit found a great resurrection in the twentieth century with the establishment of Aurobindo Ashram.
Sightseeing at Pondicherry :
Aurobindo Ashram : The main building encompasses the houses of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa, a French woman who accepted Aurobindo as her spiritual mentor and guide and later became his most important disciple). In the courtyard are the samadhis of Aurobindo and The Mother where their mortal remains have been enshrined. The worth visiting at the Ashram complex are the International Education Centre, guest houses, libraries and the cottage industries.Pondicherry Beach : The beaches are the best place to relax in Pondicherry.The 1500 metre long beach that borders the town on the eastern side is clean and is an ideal place for swimming and sun bathing. There are two monuments of historical significance on the beach. One is the 4m. tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi and the other is the War Memorial, built by the French in commemoration of the soldiers who died in the First World War. The Light House which stands 29m. high is further down the beach and is over 150 years old.
Churches in Podicherry : There are several of churches that are worthy of a visit. One of the most beautiful is the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus located on South Boulevard. It is built in the Gothic style and has three stained glass panels in a corridor behind the altar which exhibits the life of Christ. The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges on Rue Dumas was built in 1865. The church has an oil painting of Our Lady of Assumption that was donated by Napoleon III. The Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes situated in Villiyanur on the outskirts of Pondicherry is built on the same pattern as the Basilica at Lourdes in France.
Temples in Podicherry : There are many temples in Pondicherry that were erected by the Cholas between the 10th and 12th centuries. Most of them are dedicated to the local goddesses of the villages where they were built. There are also quite a few temples dedicated to Lord Vinayaka or Ganapathy.
Auroville : It is about 10 km from the city centre. The place has been converted into a lush green cover from a highly eroded area, by 25 years of sheer hard work. Auroville, at the moment, is formed of several communities, scattered along the border of Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu.
Reaching Pondicherry
- Air : Nearest Airport - Madurai and Chennai.
- Rail : nearest railhead are at Madras, Villupuram. Another way is to take a train from Bangalore to Cuddalore.
- Road : Cane be easily reach from any of the neighbouring states. Pondicherry is best accessible by road from Chennai, Bangalore and even from Kerala.