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France in India. Replete with boulevards, grand villes, crème caramel and
much more! The beautiful little town Pondicherry was a
French colony till not so long back. The distinct French
influence over virtually everything is unmistakably visible here. At many
places almost continuous are the grand gothic structures that the city
doesn’t seem part of India. Wandering in the streets of Pondicherry is
the actual fun when trying French food and eating at cafes adds to the
actual experience.
The compact town is based on a grid pattern having most of its gothic
styled buildings at the eastern side near the sea front. There are many
landmarks including some noteworthy buildings like the French consulate, town hall and beautiful old beachside
houses. There are some beautiful churches too like the Church
of our lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Renowned spiritual Guru Sri Aurobindo founded his Ashram here in
1926 which is now very popular among visitors. The ashram is a very
affluent organization promoting several educational and cultural
activities. The beautiful ashram is certainly worth looking in. There is also
a very famous
Handmade Paper factory run by the ashram, watching the process of
waste cloths being made into paper is a learning experience. Just outside
Pondicherry is
Auroville a huge interesting place conceived as an experiment in
international living. The huge area has several settlements where
disciples from all over the world engage themselves in projects related to
community development. The ‘Matrimandir’ with a huge meditation
center is an impressive building.
Pondicherry’s beachside is another attraction. The sea here is
known for
dolphins, it is possible to sail further to see them.
There is a lot more about Pondicherry than what might actually be written
about it. The relaxed town is itself a great respite and often visitors
stay here longer than what they had intended to.
Interested, Monsieur?
| QUICK FACTS |
| Getting there |
The best connection is with Chennai which is a
pleasant 4 hours drive away. Chennai is a major commercial center of
South India having very good Air, rail and road connections. |
| Further connections |
Mammallapuram, Chennai, Kanchipuram and Chidambaram. |
| Best time to visit |
Warm tropical. Doesn’t rain much. Winter monsoon
is more active than the usual summer monsoon. |
| TOURS TO PONDICHERRY | |
 
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