Pondicherry, or Puducherry, is famously known as the French Riviera of the East, and is one of the most mesmerizing and charming places in South India. This quaint little town has retained its old-world charm and comes very close to giving you a feel of the French culture. The French influence is very obvious in the city right from the food to the architecture.
The city is calm and its urban architecture, depicting the French style, attracts people from all over the world. The tiny coastal city boasts of some beautiful and untouched beaches. Additionally, the city has many beach side promenades. All this adds up to some wonderful locations to observe some of the most amazing sunrises in the country. So wake up early morning or stay up all night long. But do not miss the sunrise for watching the sunrise from the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal is one of the best things to do in Pondicherry.
The Pondicherry tourism department uses the punch-line “Give time a break” for their advertisement campaign. And that is indeed what happens when you visit this beautiful [place.
Among its diverse attractions are a coastline of 32 kms, palm-fringed beaches, backwaters, fishing villages, beach resorts, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville, the French boulevard town with its French heritage, and so on. Some great food, some fine wine, and a great adventure await you here. For those coming to Pondicherry expecting a Goa-like place there is likely to be a great deal of disappointment. Unlike Goa, Pondicherry does not have a commercial infrastructure to entertain tourists. Pondicherry is a great place to look around, take a walk by the sea, attend a cultural program.
How to reach
If you’re heading here from Bangalore, they run daily flights to Puducherry airport which will save you some time and money. It is also well connected via rail services from Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai which run three times a week. New Delhi and Kolkata have weekly trains which run here – but it will take you 3 days!
Where to stay
If you are trying to figure out where to stay in Pondicherry, you have a wide variety of choices. The options span from luxury heritage hotels to simple guest houses. Whether you are traveling to Pondicherry on a budget or trying to make it an all-out extravagance, there are accommodations to suit your needs.
Things to do
White Town is like every photographers dream. The typical Pondicherry scenes were vintage bicycles perched up against vibrant yellow walls with oil lamps.
All the electric blue street signs will begin with ‘Rue’ and palm trees will sway on nearly every road! It’s truly a feast for your eyes if you’ve been used to seeing Indian architecture.
Auroville is an experimental township in India. The land was bought by “The Mother” or Mirra Alfassa in 1968 and today, it is a community where everyone of all creed and class are welcomed. Here, you can visit the ‘soul of the city’ their famous Matrimandir.
The orb made of gold is a symbol of spiritual significance to those who practice integral yoga, a philosophy which was practiced by Shri Aurobindo and “The Mother” here. It took 37 years to build.