Auroville, Promenade and more: Top 10 things to do in Pondicherry | Travel - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Auroville, Promenade and more: Top 10 things to do in Pondicherry

Hindustan Times, Delhi | BySaurav Ranjan Datta
Aug 02, 2019 03:47 PM IST

Pondicherry is a place where history, heritage and culture resonate in every nook and corner, an abode of spirituality and a place which Rishi Aurobindo found perfect for his metaphysical quest.

As the melodious voice of Bombay Jayashree waddles through the opening credits of the Ang Lee directed movie Life of PI, we witness one of the most beautiful places in India to travel – Pondicherry, or Puducherry or Pondi as most of the locals refer to it.

Pondicherry’s history dates far back, legend has it that the ancient sage Agastya established his Ashram here and the place was known as Agastiswaram at that time.(Unsplash)
Pondicherry’s history dates far back, legend has it that the ancient sage Agastya established his Ashram here and the place was known as Agastiswaram at that time.(Unsplash)

Pondicherry is a place where history, heritage and culture resonate in every nook and corner, an abode of spirituality and a place which Rishi Aurobindo found perfect for his metaphysical quest.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Pondicherry’s history dates far back, legend has it that the ancient sage Agastya established his Ashram here and the place was known as Agastiswaram at that time. An inscription found near the Vedhapuriswara Temple surprisingly hints at the credibility of this legend.

The Vedhapuriswara or Vedapureeswarar Temple is also one of the main attractions of Pondicherry and the present temple was reconstructed towards the end of the 18th century after being demolished by the French earlier.

Soon this region came under the sway of several South Indian ruling dynasties, namely the ancient Cholas, Pallavas, imperial Cholas, Pandyas and then the mighty Vijayanagara Empire. The present town of Pondicherry was originally developed by the first French governor Francois Martin. However, the first Europeans to set foot here were the Portuguese, followed by Dutch, Danes and eventually the French.

Now, let us explore 10 must visit places in Pondicherry:

1. For a tourist, on the way from Chennai airport to Pondi, one can catch a glimpse of the beautiful Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram along with its Shore Temple which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram.
Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram.

2. Once in Pondicherry, the first stop for any traveller should be the Promenade which is basically a sea front along the erstwhile French colony, sometimes called the White Town locally. The Promenade is not a beach; but it’s a beautiful sea front with boulders to stop the erosion of the land there. Also it is the heart of the town one can say and the most visited place in Pondicherry by tourists. The settlement along its side is breathtakingly beautiful with all the colonial French architecture and buildings. There are many hotels in that area for lodging.

3. The second most sought after place in Pondicherry is the Aurobindo Ashram. One can witness the Samadhi here of this great man which is situated in the French town.

4. The third most important site to visit for the tourists in Pondicherry is Auroville – the City of Dawn. It is an experimental township founded by the famous Mother (an associate of Sri Aurobindo) and named after Sri Aurobindo (Auro=dawn and ville=city).

Auroville.
Auroville.

Situated around 10 kilometres from the Promenade, some parts of this township are in the state of Tamil Nadu and some parts of it is in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Spread over a large area, the place is not only beautiful; it evokes spirituality and calmness in anybody who visits it.

5. The three most important and beautiful churches of Pondicherry, which a tourist must visit, are the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Conception Cathedral and Notre Dame des Anges Church. The words will fail a scribe if he or she tries to describe the beautiful architecture of these homes of God.

6. Another must see place in Pondicherry is the Paradise beach. To reach this beach, one has to travel on a boat in its backwaters, the service of which is available all throughout the day.

Paradise Beach.
Paradise Beach.

7. Now coming back to devotion again, one of the most beautiful temples in Pondicherry is the Manakula Vinayagar Ganapati Temple breathtakingly adorned and decorated, also situated near to the Promenade sea front.

8. Another important attraction of Puducherry is the Villianur Thirukameeswarar Kokilambigai Temple, situated around 9/10 km from the town of Pondicherry along with its Temple Car Festival which is being held every year around the months of May/June. The general belief is that this temple was constructed by a Chola King around 12th century CE as a tribute to Lord Shiva whom he worshipped here and got cured of leprosy. The architecture of this temple is supreme and there is an inscription in the temple which dates to the early part of the 11th century CE. However, many experts argue that there are some evidences which point to an earlier date for the construction of this temple.

READ MORE: From Sweden’s Ice Hotel to Salzburg, this travel author has seen it all

9. Also, Sri Sengazhuneer Amman Temple, Veerampattinam where a car festival is also held every year around August, is another importance place for the devotees. The deity here is said to be the patron Goddess and guardian of the fishermen and hence they pay their tribute through this car festival. It is situated close to the main town of Pondicherry. This village also has a beautiful beach.

10. As far as gastronomic delights are concerned, one of the best places in Pondicherry for eating out is the Rendezvous Café Restaurant. Tugged in a beautiful building with a very colonial décor, it also plays a very soothing music in the evening discernable to any music aficionado. Another beautiful place to hangout is the Café des Arts which is a very sophisticated place with a modern menu along with an adjoining book and accessories section for shopping. For some nightout, the Café Xtasi Gastro Pub will fulfil that wish of travellers.

Apart from all these, do we know that Roald Dahl’s famous children story ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, (which also has several movie adaptations) has a character in the story by the name of Prince Pondicherry who lives in India and derives his name from the same place? Well, we see that Pondicherry is very popular all across the world and not just in India.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On