Pondicherry

Tourism

Pondicherry is a blend of spiritual institution, French colonial heritages, Tamil culture and a cosmopolitan form of life. The city is full of French colonial buildings, clean and wide streets and the sprawling premises of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. This territory is important from spiritual as well as from cultural point of view.

Pondicherry’s beauty lies in its un-spoilt beaches and well laid out parks and gardens. The city’s temples and churches and imposing monuments of the colonial era are some of the worth visiting sites in this small port city.

With its distinct French connection, it is but natural that Pondicherry is a center of fashion. There are a number of top quality boutiques, antique furniture galleries and the likes. Pondy is particularly attractive as it is extremely accessible from Chennai and serves as a preferred spot for conferences and conventions of corporate houses. Altogether it is a remarkable place to spend some of the most memorable moments of your life. But today’s attraction of Pondy is due to the presence of Auroville, the city of Dawn. It is a perfect place to search for the Divine. The meditation experience in this spherical house (Matri Mandir) is really exciting

Auroville

Auroville is located around eight km from Pondicherry and is a place that you should not miss while on a visit to pondy. Auroville is a township of universal essence. It has been conceived to accommodate people across 35 nations to live as a community. It came into existence in 1968. The idea of this utopian state was brought to the Mother several decades back, following which she gave her blessings to this noble task. The Government of India and later UNESCO welcomed the suggestion and encouraged it.

This novel town in the making is designed to accommodate 50,000 people across the world. The town underlines the strong purpose of recognizing human unity in diversity. This township in the making was officially inaugurated on 28th Feb 1968 wherein about 5000 people of different origin assembled here along with a little bit of soil from their homeland. This soil was mixed in a lotus shaped urn placed in the amphitheatre. In this ceremony, the Mother put forward the 4-point charter for the residents.

Auroville is referred to as the city of Dawn. The city has been planned out neatly. It has been divided into several zones. At the very centre, there is the peace area consisting of the Matri Mandir, the gardens, the amphitheatre with the urn and a lake. Then comes the industrial zone which is directed at the creation of green industries meant to make the town self sufficient .This area includes the city’s administration and other training centers. Residential Zone comes next which is the largest area among all zones. More than half of the area will be green area whereas the rest would be the built surface. Apart from this there is an international zone, a cultural zone and a Green Belt zone. The International zone is meant to host national and cultural pavilions. In the Cultural zone there are facilities for art and sports and other cultural activities. The city has been conceived to have a green belt surrounding it meant for organic farming, forest and wildlife areas etc have been planned. Such novel ideas like transformation of waste land into a dynamic ecosystem have been successfully implemented.

Arikamedu

One of the must visit places in Pondicherry is Arikamedu. Arikamedu is a great tourist spot as it has a lot of historical relevance. A lot of students arrive here on study tours periodically. It is located on the banks of the Ariyankuppam River about 4 km from Pondicherry. This place is remembered as a trade centre of the Romans a number of centuries back.

The place was excavated several times and it was concluded that this city was essentially into bead making and fishing and had trade relations with the Romans. A lot of excavated material shows sign of Roman presence here. There are coins, ceramics and other materials excavated here that show a clear Roman connection. Wine was supposed to have been imported whereas exports included textiles, glass, and so on. Chola coins have also been found here. The excavations brought into light several important findings of olden time. There have been references made of this ancient city in Tamil as well as Roman literature. The findings of Arikamedu have been preserved in the Pondicherry museum for all to see.

A present day visitor is not likely to find any specimens of the excavated material. There are the perpendicular walls and the mission house which are the only remnants of the past. The trenches created by the excavations have been filled up. Now the place has a thick mango and coconut plantation. Tourists can take the river cruise which is about 20 minutes and enjoy the view of the Veerampattinam Beach, the Aryankuppam River and the lighthouse. The journey as well as the destination is equally beautiful. This trip down the river is bound to bring you closer to nature.

The French Heritage

Pondicherry is synonymous with French Heritage in India and understandably so as it served as the capital of the French Colonies in India. The town was under French administration for centuries together and hence it is imperative that this place has a strong French feel in its architecture and monuments

There are a lot of monuments here which speaks about the strong French presence. It includes the French built Children’s park with a statue of Dupleix Marquis Joseph François. The other monuments of French Heritage are the Mairie building which house the Puducherry Municipality , the Le Café which used to be the port office, The French war memorial in Goubert Avenue , The French consulate building , An abandoned light house , The Aayi Mandapam built during the time of Napoleon three and the Romain Rolland Library. Apart from these there are several churches and other monuments which are part of the French Heritage. The Church of our Lady of the Angels at Dumas Street and the statue of Joan of Arc at Dumas Street. Are other reminders of French influence.

The Streets and Roads of Pondicherry have a marked French influence. The Beach road which is part of the Pondicherry heritage is a classic example of French construction. Apart from these the various French learning institutes set up here are great reminders of the French Heritage in Pondicherry. This influence makes the place a pioneer in the field of fashion – be it in garments or home interiors. There are a lot of houses which are ancient and constructed in accordance with the French way of architecture.

A visitor to Pondicherry is bound to experience the style and elegance of the French influence that has been infused into the length and breadth of Pondicherry

Botanical Garden

A visit to Pondicherry is incomplete without making a trip to the Botanical Gardens. Pondicherry in general has a very fertile soil, which accounts for the greenery and vegetation around the place. It is little wonder then that the town boasts of one of the finest botanical gardens in the country .The Botanical Garden in Pondicherry is home to several species of rare and beautiful trees and plants.

The approach to the botanical gardens, which is in the heart of the city, is reminiscent of the French Architecture. The origin of the Botanical gardens dates back to 1826. A lot of exotic plant species were introduced by the French here and the garden itself is laid down in the French style. This place is bliss for nature lovers and is the best place to experience a lot of peace and calm.

The Garden serves as a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life. A lot of shady trees, beautiful flowers and the impressive layout of the park with pruned plants on paved roads help to create an atmosphere of sheer visual extravaganza. Tourists and students on study tour flock the place.

This is an inseparable part of Pondicherry tourism. The Botanical Gardens in Pondicherry have also been provided with a musical fountain. Colorful musical fountain shows are conducted on weekends and holidays. It provides for a wonderful sensory experience.

Chunnambar Resort

Chunnambar Resort is along the banks of Ariyankkupam River about 8 km away from Pondicherry. There is a beach in Chunnambar. The place has been developed as a major tourist Center. The place is a center for beach sports with its clean sands and clear waters. You could also catch a glimpse of playful dolphins. Chunnambar resort boasts of facilities of international standards. The natural beauty of the place combined with the spirited effort and commitment of the authorities have helped in converting this place into one of the most desirable tourist destinations in this part of the world.

Chunnambar Resort offers renting of boats with which you could go on boat tours along the backwaters. Trekking and picnics are favorite activities here. The resort invites a lot of foreign and domestic tourists alike. The facilities are of international standards.

There is a famous restaurant called the Seagull restaurant which offers Tandoori food and Chinese food. You could also avail food that suits all palettes. Accommodations here are of international standards. The beauty of this place lies in the fact that it offers all possible modern amenities simultaneously being close to nature. They have tree top houses here. The feeling is beyond words. It is suitable place for a quiet stay. One could also get accommodation in a two storey tree top house aptly named Sunrise Panorama.

Pondicherry Aurobindo Ashram

Pondicherry is synonymous with the Aurbindo Ashram. It is the place where the great Indian philosopher Aurbindo lived and died. The Ashram is in Rue de la Marine. It is also the place where Aurbindo’s disciple and companion Mirra Alfassa who was from Paris and who later came to be known as the mother lived and died.

The ashram was set up in the year 1926 by Sri Aurbindo Ghose .His philosophy is derived in a combination of yoga and modern science. The ashram has received a lot of fame in Inida and abroad. The devotees come from all over the world. The Ashram is one of the richest in the country.Aurbindo Ashram is instrumental in giving Pondicherry the name of a spiritual town.

The Ashram has been instrumental in creating the spiritual feel of the city. The Ashram consists of several buildings. There are Ashram guest houses as well. The main Ashram building is the place where the Samadhi of Sir Aurbindo and the Mother are kept. This place is covered with flowers daily. There is a Library as well.

Aurbindo Ashram belives in being a self sufficient unit. It has a factory that manufactures incense sticks, hand made papers, greeting cards, perfumed candles and the likes. These are very popular and sold in the domestic and international market. Aurbindo Ashram is the proud possession of Pondicherry.

How to reach Pondicherry

By Air:Pondicherry does not have any airport with in its boundary. But it lies very close to Chennai, which has an international airport. Chennai is accessible from all over the country. Almost all public and private airlines operate regular flights to and from Chennai.

By Rail: The nearest railhead is Villupuram (36 kms), which is connected to Chennai and Madurai / Trivandrum. One can also take a train from Bangalore to Cuddalore and then reach Pondicherry by road.

By Road: A good road network, originating from National Highway 45, covers Pondicherry. The most convenient way to Pondicherry is either from Chennai (150kms) and Bangalore (320kms).