Pondicherry Travel

French By Looks, Indian by Heart

Fact Files : Pondicherry Travel Location : Four non-contiguous districts in Southern part of India Capital City : Puducherry Area : 32 sq km Population : 401,000 Main Languages : Tamil, English & French Major Attractions : Beaches, Pondicherry Museum, Maasi Magam Festival Mostly Visited For : Aurobindo Ashram, Meditation How To Reach Pondicherry Air: Ways to Reach Pondicherry - As Pondicherry does not have an airport in its territory so visitors avail the facility of Chennai International Airport while coming to Pondicherry. This airport is just 135 km from Pondicherry and regular flights arrive here from Europe,Middle East,USA .At Chennai Airport all the private and public airlines operate. Rail : Rail Ways to Reach Pondicherry - The nearest railway junction is Villupuram which is 36 km away and is connected to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram . You also have the option of taking train from Bangalore to Cuddalore. Southern Road Network Of Pondicherry ways operates here. Road: Another way to reach Pondicherry Tourist by Road Network Of Pondicherry. Road Network Of Pondicherry - Well connected road network is there in Pondicherry with National Highway No. 45 traversing the whole of Pondicherry Tours.

Since time immemorial, India has embraced the world and shared her heart to all. From north to south, and across the diameter, you will find their signatures preserved in the womb of Mother India like an orphan child. The quaint little town of Pondicherry on the East Coast Road, is no exception. It’s imbued with all the charm of a seaside town in France, yet the Union Territory is both Tamil to its roots and sublimely cosmopolitan.

Applauded as the ‘Riviera of the East’, the oval shaped city with its neatly aligned streets has been constructed on the lines of Mediterranean town planning. Walking down the corridors of time, you can still feel the French aroma floating in air, still and poised, which might help you to emulate the spiritual beacon at Auroville, an argent lantern with its dream like tranquility that attracts seekers to savour a different life ethos from across the seven seas.

Pondicherry Climate
Pondicherry is a cherished tourist destination with exotic beach, museums , delectable French cuisines.

What to see in Pondicherry

• The Beach
• Barathi Park
• Churches
• Botanical garden
• Chunnambar Boat House(which is crowded on holidays and weekends)
• Oustery Lake(Only as a view but not developed)
• Paradise Beach
• Sri Aurobindo Ashram
• Government Museum
• Auroville city
• Boat House
• Manakula Vinayagar Temple
• Villianur - St. Lourd Church (7Km from Pondicherry towards Villupuram)
• Villianur Thirukameeswarar Temple
• Auro Beach (Opposite to Auroville City)

Attractions of The Place
Aurobindo Ashram
Another well-known name associated with the town is that of the Aurobindo Ashram, the brainchild of the Bengali revolutionary and philosopher Aurobindo Ghosh and his ardent disciple Mirra Alfassa, popularly known as ‘The Mother’, who took over from Aurobindo after his death in 1950.

Founded in 1926, the Ashram is based on his philosophy of a harmonious community and draws a constant stream of visitors travel across the globe to India. You could visit the Ashram Centre at Rue de la Marine, which has the samadhi (tomb) of the philosopher and his living quarters amidst a pretty little garden of orchids and a variety of other flowers. The International Centre which occasionally screens a film, and the Library are just across the road. You can also visit the Ashram’s Hand Made Paper Factory outlet to pick up some excellent paper and diaries.

Not all seems fine between the Ashram and the locals. Perhaps the malaise stems from the fact that the affluent Ashram is mainly run by people from outside Pondicherry with a majority of Bengalis and Oriyas, and the Ashram, as an institution, seems to do little in terms of charity. Also, the nicest places in Pondicherry belong to the Ashram, and outsiders including the locals are strictly off-limits.

Auroville Village
Auroville - the International Village is situated amongst cultivated stretches of cashew nut plantations interspersed with wilderness, at a distance of about 6km from the town. The settlement is elaborated around the Matri Mandir or ‘the temple of the Mother’ which has sporadically been under construction for several years now.

However, the white marble meditation chamber is now complete and contains a beautiful crystal on which the sun’s rays fall through a strategically installed mirror.

The foundation of Auroville was laid in 1968, with the aim to concretise the Mother’s dream of creating a settlement where people would live in peace, their colour, creed and nationality notwithstanding. The settlement drew a large number of people who travel across the continents, especially Europe, many of whom still continue to live in Auroville.