Places to Visit Puducherry
Puducherry formerly known as Pondicherry is a union territory of India. It was formed out of four exclaves of former French India, namely Pondichéry
It is the most ideal of destination to party for a weekends, but it’s perfect for those looking for some peace, quiet and cups of coffee.
You will be admiring the architecture of the colonial buildings, shopping at chic boutiques and taking walk around Promenade beach.
Places to visit:
1) Beaches:
Puducherry is known for beaches. There are 4 main beaches: Promenade beach, Paradise beach, Auroville beach and Serenity beach. They are never too crowded and, compared to other beaches in India, the beaches in Pondicherry are pretty clean and well kept. And there is nothing quite as refreshing as sitting by a beautiful beach!
1) Aurobindo Ashram: It was founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926 when he decided to withdraw from public view and continue with his spiritual growth.
If inner peace is what you seek, this is where you should be headed. The ashram gives a lot of importance to yoga as it helps in transforming body and mind.
2)Auroville
Auroville is an enchanting place. The place is a study of calm and composed. Several workshops and therapies in and around the area help people get over their personal demons and be at peace once again
4) Food:
Pondi cuisine is the perfect blend of different cultures and customs. There is a lot of seafood that can be enjoyed in Pondicherry and, being in the south, the traditional South Indian fare of idli-dosa is available too. And thanks to the French influence, good steak and wine are served in most restaurants. The aura of the little restaurants all around Pondi adds to the ambience.
5) Churches
There are 32 churches in Pondicherry such as Church of Our Lady of Angels, Sacred Heart Church, Dupleix Church, Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Conception Cathedral to take the name of few of the biggest and oldest ones. Their beauty lies in the French architecture and the solace they hold within. Irrespective of your religion, just a few minutes of silence and reflection within these churches can put your mind at peace.
6)Pondicherry Museum
At various points in time, Pondicherry was under the control of the French, the British and the Dutch. The Pondicherry museum houses various relics and artefacts from those periods. There are also sculptures and other archaeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement.
7) Gandhi Statue
As if to remind you that you’re in India, not France, there is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi not too far away from the memorial. Located on the Promenade, the statue is surrounded by 8 monolithic granite pillars from the 17th century. The entire monument is very striking, especially when seen from a distance.
8) French War Memorial
The French War Memorial is majestic in its simplicity. By the beach on Gobert Avenue, it is a simple construction of four pillars erected in memory of all the French soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Not too far away is the Statue of Dupleix, installed in honour of Joseph Francois Dupleix, a Governor General of the French Establishment in India.
9) Scuba Diving
You don’t need to go abroad to do something as surreal as scuba diving. You can have your breath taken away by going underwater in Pondicherry. February-April and September-November are the best months for scuba diving in Pondicherry.
10) Chunnambar Boat House
Why just sit on the beach when you can go into the sea! At the Chunnambar Boat House, one can hire a speed boat or a regular boat as per the number of people and requirement and take a ride around Paradise beach.