I visited Pondicherry for 6 days for just INR 15,000, and this is what all I did!

Resham SengarResham Sengar/Times Travel Editor/TRAVEL TRENDS, PONDICHERRY/ Created : Jan 21, 2019, 16:14 IST

I visited Pondicherry for 6 days for just INR 15,000, and this is what all I did!

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Synopsis

I am not really a beach person, but I instinctively knew I would visit Pondicherry one day. So, in the second week of this month, I took the flight from Delhi with a planned itinerary but oblivious to the (useful) life experiences … Read more

I visited Pondicherry for 6 days for just INR 15,000, and this is what all I did!

The hotel where I stayed

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I chose to stay at the Seaside Guesthouse, which is located in Goubert Avenue in the White Town area of Pondicherry. The booking was done months in advance because winters spell more tourist activity in Pondicherry. The beach is located right opposite the hotel and the beautiful Promenade Beach is an additional attractive feature of the location. The hotel tariff is INR 1,570 per night (non-sea facing) for a standard room with a single bed.

If you are looking for a more spacious property, go for The Retreat that is located on the same lane as Seaside Guesthouse. If you want to experience Pondicherry in its totality, try booking heritage homes like Gratitude, located right next to the Seaside Guesthouse. Gratitude is a beautiful home with a spacious veranda converted into a tourist guesthouse by one of the devotees of the Divine Mother of Pondicherry. There are many similar properties located in the White Town area, and you can find many options.

What to see and do in Pondicherry?

The beaches

Pondicherry has many beaches, but a few of them are worth recommending. Every tourist must visit the Auro Beach, which is located close to Auroville. The beach is oh-so-pretty, thanks to the sun-kissed shoreline, clear waters, sea-shells etc. Since the beach water is calm, it makes an ideal location for swimming and surfing. There are some good resorts located close to the beach. Another beautiful beach in Pondicherry is the Promenade Beach. It is a rocky beach with palm trees adding beauty to the spot. The presence of cafés, food carts, friendly people and general safety makes it tourist-friendly. Karaikal beach is also a very swimmer-friendly place due to its shallow and calm water.

Aurobindo Ashram

Decades ago, the Aurobindo Ashram was established by Shri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa (later renamed as the Divine Mother of Pondicherry). Shri Aurobindo was an Indian freedom fighter, scholar, philosopher and a saint of the first order. The objective behind establishing the ashram was to use it as a centre for imparting training on integral yoga. Today, this site is serving as a resting place for the two saints, and many people visit it to pay their obeisance to them. It is a beautiful and well-kept place and it is mandatory to maintain silence here.

Auroville

Auroville is an experimental community in Pondicherry about 14 km from the French colony. It was established by the Mother as a town for people from all walks of life to dwell in harmony. The highlight of this place is the Matrimandir, a yantra-like spherical temple marked for its golden discs. The Auroville Botanical Gardens is also in the vicinity. Tourists need to buy the tickets to visit Matrimandir a day in advance.

Ganesha Temple

In Pondicherry, the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam dedicated to Lord Ganesha or Ganpathi (as they spell it in South India) is a shrine, which the local Hindus visit for their daily prayers. The temple has interesting murals depicting Ganpati, Shiva-Parvati, and Karthikeya among other gods and sages. I admired the mrudangam, shehnai, temple rituals and the beautiful lotus flowers and garlands on sale outside the temple. It is located very close to the Aurobindo Ashram.

Cafés and restaurants

There are a few good places to eat in Pondicherry. I recommend Café De La Marine, Dilliwaala 6 and even the dining hall of Aurobindo Ashram for their food. There are several other dining places that you can find just by walking in and around the French town.

Shopping

Artefacts made from terracotta are commonly available in Pondicherry. There are statues of Ganesha, tribal masks, cutlery, oil lamps, wall hangings and so on that you can buy here; do not forget to bargain. State emporiums are also located in the White Town area. Also, do check out the Auroshikha store for its handmade eco-friendly incense sticks, scented oils, herbal oils, lamps and other items.

My food expenses

Well, to save unnecessary expenditure on eating out, I ate mostly at the Seaside Guesthouse. So, the food bill turned out to be very reasonable for my budget. I spent about INR 2,300 approx on food for 5 days of lunch and dinner. Breakfast is a complimentary meal provided by the hotel. Talking about the food, it was so homely that I did not miss my home!

I relished fresh idli, sambar, tomato chutney and a banana daily; and the breakfast spread also included omelette, boiled eggs, toast, butter, jam, tea and coffee. Their lunch and dinner buffet featured a lentil soup, a dry vegetable, a vegetable or bean curry, flavoured rice, plain boiled rice, chapati, curd, papad, rasam, salad and a desert. What more could I have asked for? Most of the hotels in this tariff range offer a similar experience, you just need to look carefully while booking your stay.

Chidambaram, a secret well-kept

Chidambaram is a town located about 65 km from Pondicherry. It witnesses tourist arrivals from the nearby towns and villages as well as the rest of Tamil Nadu and India, primarily for its Shiva Temple. I had seen the Nataraja (dancer) form of Lord Shiva, but was unaware of the fact that the form has been enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum of the majestic temple in Chidambaram. It is perhaps the only Shiva temple in India. where the deity is not worshiped as a lingam (phallus) but as a cosmic dancer.

Like all the temple shrines in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the inner shrine of Lord Nataraja was illuminated by ghee/oil lamps. At the temple, the prasadam given to the devotees is a free-of-cost packet of vibhuti (holy ashes); laddoos and other salted local savouries like papad have to be purchased if you so wish. Visitors can spend the rest of their time admiring the colourful architecture, murals of the deities and incidents from the ancient scriptures and other interesting features of the temple.

Trip cost: INR 1,000 approx

If you can make it, then do visit

I had planned to visit Kumbakonam (122 km) and Thanjavur (160 km) from Pondicherry, but for some reason, the trip could not materialise. What really makes Kumbakonam special are the ancient Nakshatra temples dedicated to each of the birth stars mentioned in the Hindu astrology texts. There are deities presiding over every nakshatra, and people visit these temples to ward off their sufferings and inauspiciousness of their horoscope.

Besides, the Adhi Kumbeshwarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is also a powerful holy site in Kumbakonam. And then, there is Thanjavur, a reputed destination in Tamil Nadu marked for its Brihadishvara Temple, also known as Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Koyil. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the Chola kings between 1003 and 1010 AD. The Thanjavur Palace and other Chola temples are also a must-see for a tourist to know about India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

Reaching Pondicherry

I took the flight from New Delhi to Chennai, and then drove to Pondicherry. Tourists from Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad can also take a direct flight to Pondicherry. Those from South India can also take a bus or train to Pondicherry.

All in all, I spent a total of 6 days in Pondicherry and spent about INR 15,000 excluding the airfare. Not bad for a budget traveller, eh.