Places To Visit In Pondicherry

By Author: Aliasgar Merchant
Total Articles: 4
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Pondicherry –The Deep French Connection

A place that is dotted with structures erected in the colonial era with streets lined with cafes that go by the names of Rue de La Compagnie. We also find many inhabitants here with French names and French citizenship. Though the French have long gone, the place continues to bear a strong reminiscence to the French culture, art and heritage.

Pondicherry is a union territory in Tamil Nadu and is roughly about 160 km to the south of Chennai. Unlike other major tourist destinations in India, this quaint little place doesn’t offer too many options in terms of attractions and activities but the placeisdefinitely on the must-visit-list of millions of tourists visiting the southern part of India and is quite famous for itsbeautiful beaches and majestic heritage buildings, monuments and religious structures as well as ashrams.

A visit to any tourist destination begins with the task of finding a neat little place for accommodation and with the variety of options available, tourists do not need to worry too much about finding decent budget hotels in Pondicherry ...
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Once visitors settle in and get themselves acclimatized, there are a variety of things that they can look forward to engage in.

A Walk along the Beach

To begin with, visitors can explore the beachfronts dotting the coastline both situated within the town area as well as on the outskirts. A long walk along the beach gives one the opportunity to soak in themulticultural characteristics of the inhabitants and gives you a glimpse of important buildings and monuments of historical and cultural significance.

Pay a Visit to the Temples and Ashrams

A visit to the heritage city is definitely not complete without exploring the churches, temples and ashrams the place is famous for. Take time out to visit the stunning churches and cathedrals built in the French era, especially the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and the Notre Dame de Anges. Like many other cities and towns in India, the place is also home to many temples but the one that you should definitely visit is the Hindu God Sri Ganesha’sSri ManakulaVinayagarTemple.

The place is also home to the international spiritual community Sri AurobindoAshram,which attracts lakhs of spiritual seekers from across the globe. You should also checkout the international community Auroville that’s closely linked to Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Once you are done exploring the beaches and other places and monuments, you can headontothe local museum that would give you a glimpse of the region’s history dating back to hundreds of years right back to the French era.

Getting Around

There are a variety of ways in which you can choose to travel locally. Other than the usual modes of transportation, you can also chose to rent a bicycle or a motor bike to explore the places of interest.

Go for Some Shopping

Sightseeing and exploring apart, you cannot yet call it a day unless you indulge in some retail therapy. Browse through the local shops to shop for interesting memorabilia, cotton fabrics, handicrafts and jewellery. The Jawaharlal Nehru Street can bea good place to begin your shopping endeavour.

And yes, do not end your trip without checking out the local cuisine. It is a real treat for your taste buds and is sure to keep you wanting for more.