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Pondicherry
lies 162 kms from Chennai ( formerly Madras ), on the east coast of India. Having remained capital of the erstwhile French India, the city's cultural legacy has a unique hue to it, not to be found anywhere else in the country.
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Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Established by Sri Aurobindo, a revolutionary turned poet, the Aurobindo Ashram has grown into a centre for the practice of Integral Yoga. In the main building of the ashram, is the Marble Samadhi, where Aurobindo and the Mother have been laid to rest.
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Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens were laid out in 1826 in the ornate French style, with pruned trees, beautiful flower beds and gravel lined paths and fountains. With over 1500 species of plants, this could actually qualify as one of the best botanical gardens in South India.
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Boat House
Facilities for boating and canoeing are available at the boat house, on the river Chunnambar, 8 km from Pondicherry. The backwaters and luxuriant greenery on both sides of the river, provide an idyllic setting for boating.
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Auroville
Auroville or the 'City of Down' was conceived as a utopian paradise by the Mother, the spiritual successor of Sri Aurobindo. The idea was to build a futuristic city where people of goodwill would live together in peace and harmony. Around 1900 people live in communes, with names like Grace, Serenity, Fertile, Certitude and Transformation.
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Promenade
The 1.5 km long promenade running along the beach on the sea front has several land marks such as The War memorial, the statue of Joan of Arc, the heritage town hall, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Dupleix statue, old light house, the remains of the old pier, the old customs house, speak the splendor of the by gone era.
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Manakula Vinayagar Koil Temple
This temple is more than 300 years old and is dedicated to Ganesha.
Over 5000
devotees flock
to this site
everyday. The
temple compound
also plays host
to 'Lakshmi', the temple elephant, who uses her trunk to dispense blessings and to collect coins from the devotees.
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Varadaraja Perumal Temple
This is believed to be the oldest temple in town, dating back to 600 AD. The temple built in the typical Dravidian style, complete with brightly coloured
'gopuram' and sculpted pillars, is probably the oldest standing structure in puducherry.
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Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple
This is located
in a small town
called 'Villianur', 11 kms. from puducherry.
The main shrine
housing the 'Shivlinga' and the shrines dedicated to the Devi and Murugan date back to the 12th century Chola period.
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Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This white and brown neo-gothic church is one of Pondy's finest Catholic churches. It was built by French missionaries in the 1700's in a contrasting Neo-Gothic manner. The church has an imposing entrance and the beautiful stained glass panels depict incidents from Jesus Christ's life.
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The Notre Dame des Anges
The Church of our Lady of the Angels on rue Romain Rolland was built in 1852 in the Greek Roman architectural style. This church is also famous for its rare oil painting of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was a gift from the French emperor, Napoleon III.
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French War Memorial
The French War Memorial on Goubert Avenue is solemn reminder of those brave soldiers who laid down their lives, for their country during the First World War.
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Gandhi Statue
This is a highlight of puducherry. A four-meter statue of Mahatma Gandhi is surrounded by eight magnificent granite pillars
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19th Century Light House
This light house was used for the first time on July 1st 1836 and continued to be used upto the year 1979.
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The puducherry Museum
The museum has a collection of rare bronzes and stone sculptures from the Pallava and Chola dynasties and artifacts excavated from Arikamedu (an ancient port just 7 kms. from city that had trade links with the Roman empires).
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Keezhoor
Kizhoor a border village is situated at a distance of nearly 28 kms from puducherry.There is a huge banyan tree near the village here. The canopy of the 400 year old tree covers a few acres at the very least.
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Arikamedu (200 B.C)
Arikamedu, the ancient Roman trade centre has a long history that dates back to the second century B.C. The port town was inhabited by Romans, Cholas and French who left their mark here. Wine seems to have been a major import. The exports must have included textile, beads, semiprecious gems, glass and shell bangles.
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