Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambience.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Puducherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serinity Beach . Sri Aurobindo Ashram located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km North-West of Puducherry. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities .
There are a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century churches in Puducherry as well as a number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade beach such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governers Palace, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Puducherry Museum, and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Joyful boat rides at Chunnambar boat house (Puducherry-Cuddalore Road) and at Osutari lake, Botanical Garden for joyful train ride and for unseen natures beauty.
Tourist attractions
Promenade beach in Puducherry
Promenade beach is the most popular beach in Puducherry.1.5 km long road (Beach road or Goubert Avenue) runs parallel to the beach.The whole city is in walking distance from the beach
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a well known and wealthy ashram in India , with devotees from India and all over the world flocking to it for spiritual salvation. Its spiritual tenets represent a synthesis of yoga and modern science. The Ashram was founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo Ghose , an Indian freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, and yogi.
Auroville
The Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere in the center of town. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township which is situated 8 km north-west of Puducherry in East Coast Road . Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The Government of India and UNESCO has endorsed the project.
Heritage Buildings
Le Cafe, Puducherry
Le Cafe is on the seashore, not far from the statue of Gandhi. It was once the port office when the railway ran along Beach Road from the South Boulevard to the old 240 meters iron pier.
Raj Niwas, Pondicherry , is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governors of Pondicherry. [21] Once it was the official residence of the French Governors. The Government Adobe (Raj Niwas) is a harmonious blend of French and Indian style of architecture.
The Romain Rolland library was established in 1872 and has a rich collection of more than 3,00,000 volumes in both French and English. It has a mobile library service which has a collection of more than 8000 books.
The Legislative Assembly was established in 1962 in what was formerly a private house. [23] The UCO Bank, which dates from 1916 when it was La Banque de l' Indochine, preserves a gentle of the complexity of the British ledger system for those who wish to change money there.
Building of the Ecole Française d'Extrème Orient in Puducherry
French Institute of the Far East(L'Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient) is an internationally renowned research institute. This institute has two buildings almost diagonal to each other at the corner of Dumas Street and is known for its research in the field of Indology, history and archaeology.
Hotel de l'Orient was built in 1809.It was once the Directorate of Education and is now a hotel-restaurant-gift shop. It is situated at Romain Rolland Street.
Alliance Francaise is a very public and busy place, housing the cultural and information centre, a school for the teaching of the French language and a library.It is situated at Suffren Street.
Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Educaiton is notable for its entrance gate with courtyard, arched windows and parapet. [31] Le Foyer du Soldat is in Law De Lauriston Street. It is a Legion hall for soldiers who served in different French wars. It is situated at Marine Street.
French Institute of Pondicherry is housed in a classical colonial building. It is a research institute in Indian Civilization, history and society in ecology, in environment and development in South and Southeast Asia.They are preserving many palm leaf manuscripts. The building is notable for its entrance gate with pediment, arched staircases, arcades, windows. It is situated at Saint-Louis Street.
Anglo French Textiles is a composite textiles mill in Puducherry which was established in the year 1898. The mill is a popular place for study tours. In the year 1986 Anglo French Textiles was taken under the wings of Pondicherry Textile Corporation, as a Government of Pondicherry Undertaking.
Monuments and Statue
Mahatma Gandhi statue, Puducherry
Gandhi Statue is a four-meter statue of Mahatma Gandhi is surrounded by eight granite pillars, which were supposedly brought from Gingee, a fort some 70 km from Puducherry.
The statue of Joseph Francois Dupleix is situated in the beach road and housed in the childrens park. Dupleix was an integral part of Puducherry's colonial past. He was the governor of puducherry between 1742 and 1754.Marble statue of the heroic French damsel Joan of Arc , which is located in front of the Church of Our Lady of the Angles. The statue is placed in the middle of a garden.statue was erected in 1923. It is situated at Dumas Street.
French war memorial in Puducherry
The French War Memorial on Goubert Avenue is reminder of those brave soldiers who laid down their lives, for their country during the First World War .
Park Monunemt (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Puducherry
Aayi Mandapam (Park Monunemt) is a white monument built during the time of Napoleon III , Emperor of the France. It is situated in center of Bharathi park.
Museums
Puducherry Museum has a gallery with sculptures and has the remains of archaeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement. The museum also 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 km from city that had trade links with the Roman empires).
The Bharathidasan Museum, on No. 95 Perumal Koil Street, is the former house of the Puducherry-born poet and playwright - Bharathidasan (1891-1960) (meaning "Disciple of Bharathi").
Subramanya Bharathi (1882-1921), commonly known as Bharathiyar, was a Tamil poet-patriot who arrived in Puducherry in 1908, a fugitive from British India. [38] The French atmosphere brought out the best in Bharathi and some of his finest patriotic and romantic compositions were born here. [38] Bharathi's home also known as Bharathi Museum, on No. 20, Eswaran Dharamaraja Koil Street, is almost a place of pilgrimage today for the Tamil people.
Jawahar Toy Museum is located next to the old lighthouse on Goubert Avenue, the museum is open on all days except Monday. This rater museum has a collection of over 120 dolls, each one dressed in costumes from different Indian states. Also on display is a little "fairyland" with a tiny Ganesha watching over all the proceedings.
Children's Museum is located next to the Botanical Gardens, it has collections of snail shells from the puducherry region.
Gardens & Parks
The Botanical Gardens are located south of the New Bus Stand. The gate leading to the garden is reminiscent of French architecture and it stands out from its immediate surroundings because it is in the middle of the old Tamil town.
Bharati Park (Government Park) in Puducherry
The Government Park or Bharati Park is in the green centre of the Town. The Aayi Mandapam is a famous monument which lies at the center of the Bharati Park. The Government Park in Pondicherry is aptly located in the central region of the old colonial town.
Places of worship
Hindu Temples
Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. It has a golden spire and walls portraying forty different forms of Ganesha.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple is located on M.G.Road, 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. This temple is dedicated to Vishnu.
Vedhapureeswarar Temple also known as the Eashwaran koil, is located on M.G.Road and is dedicated to Shiva . It has colourful "gopuram", adorned by the statues of gods and goddesses, like most temples in South India.
Kanniga Parameswari Temple, located on M.G.Road, is dedicated to the goddess Shakti and has a blend of both Tamil and French architecture. With its arched walls, ionic columns, stained glass windows and even some angel decorations, it is reminiscent of a French building.
Churches
The Eglise de Sacre Coeur de Jesus (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), situated on the south boulevard, is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ.
The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges (The Church of Our Lady of Angels), Puducherry
The Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception Immaculee (The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), on Cathedral Street, was first built in 1692. It took its present shape in 1791.
Mosques
Meeran mosque is the oldest mosque in Puducherry, built over 350 years ago. It has the old gothic Islam architecture in it. It was built by Arcod navab.It has four lofty pillars below its dome, with Meerhath near it and Meember next to it.
Kuthbha (meaning preaching) mosque is the first mosque in Puducherry. It is said that during 17th century, as the mosque was in the white area, the French ordered it and the Islamic neighbourhood shifted to the southern end of the town.
