Pondicherry, or better, puducherry (meaning ‘new village’), is a union territory in India, comprising of four sections or districts, puducherry being the largest. It was basically a French colony during the British rule in India, and is also known as the ‘French Riviera of the East’. Puducherry id based on the French ‘grid system’ of architecture and has clear cut sectors, running perpendicular to each other. Infact, the French influence vests deep into the puducherry way of life and still, many people speak French here.
It has been a much visited tourist attraction over the years for many domestic and international tourists. Puducherry was once the home of one of India’s most famous freedom fighter and spiritualist, sri aurobindo, and now, as a reminiscence of his times, the famous Sri Aurobindo ashram, founded by the man himself in 1920 and run by his French compatriot Mirra Alfassa (THE MOTHER) and its branching township auroville stand on the puducherry soil, surely, these are the places one would like to visit first and foremost on arriving here. Samadhis of sri aurobindo and mother are housed in the ashram itself and it is open for everyone to see during the day. The ashram has a rest house also which has a limited number of rooms to accommodate those who have come for a short trip, so it is advisable to book your room before planning to arrive.
Auroville on the other hand in a township in the villupuram districs of puducherry. It is unlike any other township and stands out from the fact that it was established with the purpose to realize “unity in diversity”. This township should soothe your senses and is a model for harnessing your spiritual energy. It surrounds various Indian villages and farms, set in a traditional environment. You would not want to miss a visit to the matri mandir, a golf ball shaped structure, having gold plating on the outer surface, in auroville.
It is believed to be an answer to man’s constant surge for perfection, given by the god himself.
After auroville, you can pay a visit to the puducherry museum, another must see, located at the government park. It has many objects from the time of the French rule, a whole section on archeological discoveries of the past, mainly from the roman settlement, which once housed themselves near puducherry. It is housed in a heritage building and this museum is told to be the ‘youngest’ museum in the country and it also houses one of the world’s best bronze collections. Other objects include various modes of transport, a numismatic section, a section of the sculptures of chola times and a lot more, it truly is an exciting place to be at.
If you are a person who is interested in literature, then the bharathidasan memorial museum is the right place for you, named after the famous poets bharti, who later changed his name to bharathidasan ( disciple of bharathi), many of hi works and other works of literature are preserved here.
Other than these places, many places like the Church of the sacred heart (Jesus), boating of contemporary French architecture and Chidambram, a temple town in the vicinity of puducherry might interest you.
The ideal way to end your long and tiring trip would be to take a swim at the 1.5 km long Promenade beach, the best place to relax, take a stroll, have a sunbath and just chill in puducherry. Now, that’s what I call a perfect end to a perfect start.
See you there!!

Pondicherry was recently renamed after decades as Puducherry, a more recent of the renaming ceremonies that we have witnessed in India, started by the Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai etc etc.

Colonial French Ruled Pondicherry and left some legacy in pondicherry, which gives it a certain old charm. The portico at the promenade with it balustrades makes it look like a postcard from 18th century France.