Pondicherry
Pondicherry (a.k.a) Puducherry and popularly known as "Pondy", is a great destination that offers a wide range of attactions - colonial architecture, beaches, historic sites and more.
Pondicherry
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Location : Pondicherry
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Best Time : October - February
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Railway Station : Pondicherry
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Airport : Pondicherry
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Days Required : 2 to 3 days
"Pondicherry: The French Capital of India..!"
Pondicherry, in short known as "Pondy" is one of India's most beautiful Union Territories which includes four coastal regions namely Puducherry, Yanam, Mahe, and Karaikal. Pondicherry was once the home for the French in India and they mixed their French culture with South Indian culture to get a unique tradition.
The French tradition can be find in a small part of Pondicherry which people refer to as the "White Town". The rest of Pondicherry follows a normal Indian tradition. Once we explore the white town, we will get a feel that we are in someplace out of India.
Chennai, which is around 150 kms away is the closest city to Pondicherry. The scenic East Coast Road, makes for a memorable drive from Chennai to ‘Pondy’. There are lots of regular buses and Deluxe Coaches that run on this route.
Auroville and Sri Aurobindo Ashram are the 2 most important spots in Pondicherry where people from all over the world come for meditation and yoga. Apart from this, beaches are the important attraction here. Places like Rock Beach, Paradise Beach, Serenity beach are few of the beautiful beaches here.
Travel Tips
- Try out some French Food from the famous Le Café near the Promenade beach
- Avoid the summer as the temperature will be very high here.
- Enjoy some surfing in the Serenity beach.
- Scuba Diving options are available in Pondicherry beaches.
- Nightlife is very famous in Pondicherry and exploring the city during the night time will be different experience.
Traveler's Experience
మీరు బీచ్లు, కేఫ్లు, అందమైన ప్రదేశాలు, గొప్ప వారసత్వ ప్రదేశాల కోసం చూస్తున్నట్లయితే, పాండిచ్చేరి మీ గమ్యస్థానం.
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Detailed Information
Pondicherry, the French Town in India is one of the top most tourist spot in South India. Before it's independence, Pondicherry was under Dutch, Portuguese, British and French rule. Legally Pondicherry became a part of The Republic of India on 16th August 1962.
This French portion of Pondicherry is located to the seaside of Promenade facing the Bay of Bengal, which is generally known as White Town. If we are walking through the streets of the White Town, we can see the beautifully designed French buildings and some old heritage buildings. Also, there are plenty of French Food Cafe's out there and the most famous one is the Le Café, which is maintained by the government and its open for 24 hours.
The beaches in Pondicherry can be considered as a cleaner version of Goa and less crowded when comparing with Goa. The summer season in Pondicherry starts in March and ends in June. As Pondicherry is a coastal city, the temperature lies between 26 degree Celsius to 42 degree Celsius making this city extremely hot and humid during the summer.
Aurobindo Ashram
Sri Aurobindo Ashram is located in the heart of White Town and it is a holy destination for people seeking spirituality. This ashram is extremely peaceful and calm and we can see the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo. The entry to ashram is free of cost and is open between 8 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm.
Auroville & Matrimandir
Auroville was founded by Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa in 1968 and designed by the French architect Roger Anger which is an experimental township located 8 km from Pondicherry. The main attraction of Auroville is Matrimandir (golden dome), located in the beautiful garden which literally means "temple of the mother". Matrimandir is a symbol of spiritual significance to those who practice internal yoga. We need to get a pass to enter this temple which we need to book at least 2-4 days in advance. Also we will get a freevisitors pass to walk to the viewing point.
Pondicherry has 4 main beaches - Paradise beach, Auroville beach, Rock beach, and Serenity beach.
Rock Beach
Also known as Promenade beach, Rock beach is one of the main attraction and most visited beaches of Pondicherry. This beach starts from the War Memorial and ends at the Duplex Park on Goubert Avenue which covers around 1.2 km long stretch. There is a magnificent statue of Mahatma Gandhi which is made of black stone is available in the center part of this beach. This is not a sandy beach as others in the area, but it’s still a really nice place to walk around at any time with the best being at sunset.
Serenity Beach
This beach is located in the East Coast Road which is around 20 minutes away from the main city and it is one of the most cleanest beaches in Pondicherry. This is a scenic place with fishing boats, fishermen activities, palm tress and colorful huts. Also, this beach is famous for surfing as the big waves of the beach gives amazing surfing opportunities.
Paradise Beach
This can be considered as a wonderland on the Pondicherry. This is located around 8kms away from the main city towards the Cuddalore Main Road. The beach remains open from 9 am to 5 pm and a boat service is available to connect the beach from the main land. The entry fee is Rs. 150 per person with the additional cost of parking, boats, and ferries.