Pondicherry - Paris of the East
Pondicherry, an Indian Union Territory formed by four enclaves of erstwhile French India, is extremely gorgeous region for tourist activities. The union territory is named after the largest French enclave here. The four small unconnected districts which Pondicherry contains are Pondicherry, Karaikal and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal, and Mahé on the Arabian Sea.
Pondicherry in French and Putuccēri or Pāṇṭiccēri in Tamil literally means ‘New Town’ in Tamil language. The official name of Pondicherry (Pāṇṭiccēri) changed to Puducherry (Putuccēri) in September 2006. Also referred as ‘The French Riviera of the East’, the state is a worth visit destination.
Pondicherry in French and Putuccēri or Pāṇṭiccēri in Tamil literally means ‘New Town’ in Tamil language. The official name of Pondicherry (Pāṇṭiccēri) changed to Puducherry (Putuccēri) in September 2006. Also referred as ‘The French Riviera of the East’, the state is a worth visit destination.
How to Reach
- Air: Pondicherry does not have its own airport so travelers avail the facility of Chennai International Airport, 135 km far from Pondicherry.
- Rail:The union territory’s nearest railway junction is Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, 36 km away from Pondicherry, connecting it to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram . Visitors can also take train from Bangalore to Cuddalore.
- Road:Pondicherry is well connected through road network with National Highway No 45 passing through the whole of Pondicherry. Chennai is 150 km from Pondicherry and Bangalore being 320 km. It is also accessible from Kerala.
Best Time to Visit
- Winters stay in Pondicherry from November to February, with pleasant weather and temperature with minimum just touching 17°C.
- The state witnesses summers from March to July, with maximum mercury level of 41°C.
- Monsoons pours the region between July-end to September, with good amount of rainfall making the region more picturesque.
The best time to visit for Pondicherry is from November to February, during winters. During other months of the year, either the state remains scorching hot or it faces extremely heavy rains.
Major Attractions in Pondicherry
- Shri Aurobindo Ashram : Dedicated to Shri Aurobindo, the great revolutionary and spiritualist of the 19th century India and the Mother Mirra Alfassa, this ashram houses their mortal remains or 'samadhis'.
- Auroville : Lying about 10 km north of Pondicherry, Auroville is meant to be a universal town for human unity, started in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa.
- Arikamedu : Situated about 6 km from Pondicherry, Arikamedu is lying at the estuary of the River Ariyankuppam. This archaeological site is the place where Mortimer Wheeler held his acclaimed excavation in the 1940s.
- Bharati Park : Situated in the green centre of the French Town, the Government Park or Bharati Park possesses gorgeous lush trees.
- Churches in Pondicherry : Some of the most famous churches in Pondicherry are Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus, Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges and Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes.
- Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple : Just ten km from Pondicherry, Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple at Villianur is very old and marvelous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- Pondicherry Beach : The beautiful beach houses some of the major tourist attractions like the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and the famous French Governor Dupleix, the 27 meter tall lighthouse and the splendid war memorial erected by the French.
- Botanical Garden : It is known as of one of the finest botanical gardens India, providing a superb natural treat to nature lovers.
Fairs and Festivals
- Fire walking
- Sedal
- Mascarade festival or Mask festival
- International Yoga Festival
- Masi Magam Festival
- Summer Festival (Chitrai kalai Vizha)
- Villianur Temple car festival
- Bastille Day
- Veerampattinam Car festival
- Fete De Pondicherry
- Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Anniversary
- Putha Lanthira
- Mandolilthira
- Koyodan Korothithra
- Pandokuloththira
- Mandalam Vilakku
- Vishnutheertham
- Swamikalyanam
- Annual 'Mangani' Festival
- Kandoori Festival
- Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at the Church
- Onam
- Vishu
- Sri Krishna Jayanti
- Vinayaga Chathurthi
- Thiraiyattam