Pondicherry Tourist Attractions: The complete tourist guide about Pondicherry Union Territory & Tourist Packages

The old timer still calls the place as Puduchery meaning (New Town), which appears odd today as it is neither new nor a village. This pretty town is the prodigal daughter now re-united to her mother country. About three centuries ago, founded as a coastal factory by the French, and developed from 1674 by Francois Martin, she has grown to its modern form and proportions of a clean, neat and well laid out town. The Union Territory of Pondicherry in South India covering an area of 492 square kms, consists of four districts, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Pondicherry, capital of the Union Territory lies 162 kms south of Chennai.

Legend associates ancient Pondicherry with the great Hindu sage Agastya. Excavations in the Arikamedu area reveal that a Roman settlement existed here about 2000 years ago. In 1673 Pulicheri, a fishermen's coastal village 160 kms south of Chennai was acquired by the French as a trading post which they then called as Pondicherry. Kariakal was purchased by the French from the king of Thanjavur in 1738. Mahe was given to the French by the ruler of Badgara in 1721. Yanam came into their possession in 1731.
Today, Pondicherry is a bustling town. French language is still widely spoken. Bastille day is celebrated here with all fervor as one would see in France.

Aurobindo, a revolutionary turned saint founded an Ashram at Pondicherry to shape his ideas. It has now grown into an International Centre for seeking after divine life of Truth, Service and spiritual development. The Mother, a Paris-born painter-musician, became Aurobindo's close companion from 1920 until his death in 1950.

Places of interest:

Aurobindo Ashram: Situated all along the beach, this is the best known land mark of Pondicheriy. In the courtyard of the Ashram are the marble Samadhis where Aurobindo and the Mother have been laid to rest and the houses they lived in. Across the road is the Aurobindo International Centre, a school for children.


Auroville: 10 kms bordering Tamil Nadu. This new city designed by the French Architect Roger Arger is intended to be a future- oriented International City where persons of all nationalities irrespective of caste, creed and religion would live together in harmony. About 550 persons from different countries live here in the 40 settlements. Bharat Nivas, India's pavilion, has unique features of each Indian state. The Sphere shaped Matri Mandir a hall of meditation is the splendid centre of Auroville.


Bharati Dasan Memorial Museum: Situated in Perumal Koil street in the town, it has become a place of pilgrimage today to the Tamil people.


Beach: Pondicherry has a lovely beach 1.5 kms long, where one can relax, sunbathe, swim or take a stroll along the promenade. Historical associations with the beach bring to mind the Anglo - French battles. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi set amidst eight monolithic pillars and the War Memorial raised by the French to honour the soldiers who died in World War I are the important monuments here. At one end of the beach is the statue of Duplex also. The Light House and the 284 metre long new pier are further south.


Mansion Ananda Ranga Pillai: Ranga Pillai was the Dubash (Indian representative of a European ruler) and had access to high places and lot of diplomatic information. His home, a beautiful house built in a curious mix of French and Indian Architectural styles is preserved as a museum along with his diary and other records.




Raj Nivas: This grand Palace, typically French, was once the residence of Dupleix, a great builder of Pondicherry. Today, this exquisite building with beautiful lawns in front and decorated with sculptures is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry.



Pondicherry Museum: Located opposite the Government Park with the premises of the Romaine Rolland Library, the museum has an outstanding collection of artifacts especially relating to French Indian history. The sculpture gallery is a treasure house of Pallava and Chola art.



Botanical Gardens: 2 kms Conceived in 1826 by C.S.Perrotet, this garden boasts of a variety of rare and exotic plants from India and abroad. The aquarium inside is worth seeing.


Churches: During the 17th and 18th centuries, the French missionaries built several churches and embellished them. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges are particularly noteworthy churches. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a church in the South Boulevard and is noted for its Gothic architecture, stained glass corridors and panels depicting incidents from the life of Jesus Christ.

Manokulla Vinayagar Temple at M.V.Street is a popular shrine attracting large crowds of devotees.

Vedapureeshwarar Temple, the 12th century Tirukameshwarar temple at Tiruvandar and Panchanadishwarar temple of 10th century are the ancient temples worthy of visit.

The French Institute was established in 1955 to conduct research in Indian languages and culture. It also prepares various kinds of maps of India.



Mandajapatti: 50 kms This is the location of the cave temple dedicated to the Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This is believed to be the first temple built during the reign of Pallava king Mahendra Varma.



Tiruvakkarai: 29 kms An ancient temple dedicated to Chandramouleshwara noted for its architectural grandeur of the Chola period is a famous shrine. The fossil-bearing areas around this region are believed to be hundred million years old.


Tourist Packages

Pondicherry Tour Packages


How to Reach

1. The closest airport is in Chennai, which is around 135 kms from puducherry (approx. 2 ½ hrs. journey). Chennai has excellent connections with almost all cities in India and direction connection to Europe, USA, Middle East and South East Asia. Trichy airport is 220 kms away. Bangalore (320 kms) and Madurai are the other nearby airports.

2. Though puducherry is on the rail map journey by train to and from puducherry is not very popular. Villupuram is the nearest junction, it is fairly well connected to places like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy.

3. puducherry is well connected to all districts and major towns of various states like Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andra Pradesh. puducherry is best accessible by road, either by bus or by taxi. There are frequent buses, almost every 15 minutes in the day from Chennai’s new bus stand in Koyembedu.

4.The express buses takes 3 ½ hours to reach puducherry. Preferably take the buses coming by the East Coast Road via Mahabalipuram, instead of the National Highway, as the ECR is far more scenic with shimmering sea to give you company most of the way.

There are frequent buses to puducherry from places like Chidambaram, Thanjavur Trichy and Coimbatore. Especially private luxury buses are connecting puducherry with other major cities in Tamil Nadu and Bangalore.


Fairs & Festivals
January
International Yoga Festival
Shopping Festival
Karaikal Carnival

February
Food Festival
Mahe Mahotsav
Heritage Festival

September
World Tourism Day
Goan Food Festival

December
Air Show
Yanam People's Festival
Yoga Camp
Shopping Festival


Shopping
There are five major Shopping area's for visitors
  1. Anna Salai 
  2. Nehru Street (J.N.Street)
  3. Mahatma Gandhi Street (M.G.Street)
  4. Cathedral Street (Mission Street)
  5. Romain Rolland Street
All the sops open from 10.00 a.m to 01.00 p.m and 04.00 p.m to 10.00 p.m. Most shops close on Sunday.
Puducherry is the favourite stomping ground of the passionate shopper. It's an octroi - free destination for everything from cars to consumer goods. In addition, there is an enticingly low incidence of sales tax. Shop - hoppers will also relish the pleasant ambience of the boutiques in puducherry, which cater to a wide range of tastes, offering stylish garments, semi - precious stones, perfumes, hand - made incense, candles embossed with real petals, marbled silks and aromatherapy products. One can also find a variety of handicrafts from Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Karnataka, Kashmir, Tibet and puducherry of course.
Textiles: puducherry has long been a centre for the production of household linen and garment textiles.
Furniture puducherry offers antique furniture and curios such as refinished Tamil, Keralite, and French and British colonial furniture.

Leather:
Making leather the forgotten way, with exacting attention to detail, is what separates the puducherry brands from the rest. Carefully finshed, innovative products with quality can be found in many leather shops in Pondy.

Pottery:
Excellent ceramic artists and artisans work in puducherry and Auroville. They keep a keen eye out for the right kind of clay and glazes and make the kilns appropriate to the local environment. Lending their signature an elegant simplicity and a unique decorative flourish.

Aromatics:
The aromatics in puducherry is world famous for high - quality non - toxic incense sticks and cones as well as scented candles, perfumed oils and sachets, incense holders, ceramic holders and diffusers.

Foods: A variety of jams is produced by Naturellement in Auroville. Some of the produces available are jellies, jams, marmalades, chutneys, pickles, French mustard, peanut butter and other exotic preserves. One can also find snacking cheeses and the cooking kind in Auroville.


Weather
WINTER: Runs from December through February. Daily temperature around 30° C and nights are pleasant, even cool. This is high tourist season in puducherry.

SUMMER: From March through July has hot and humid climate. Temperature routinely touching
40° C in May and June. Normally around 35° C-38° C.

MONSOON: The monsoon on the west coast brings temporary relief towards the end of July and in
August which results in milder temperatures and occasional showers which might continue right upto the month of October. The North West Monsoon in October through December brings cooler whether. The monsoon develops through out this period, peaking in November and occasional quick tempered storm fill the streets for a day or so.Throughout the year, evening sea breezes can bring relief.


Hotels
UPMARKET HOTELS
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Anandha Inn
S.V.Patel Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2330711

(9 lines)
2331241
Hotel Annamalai International
479, Kamaraj Salai, Saram
Puducherry – 605 013
2247001
To
2247014
2247015
Hotel MASS Maraimalai Adigal Salai, Puducherry – 605 001
Email :     
4207001
11 lines
4207012
Le Dupleix
5, Rue De la Caseme
Puducherry – 605 001
2226999
Toll Free
No :1600 111 222
2335278
The Promenade
Beach Road, Puducherry
Email:
promenade@sarovarhotels.com
2227750
To 
2227757
2227141

BEACH RESORTS
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Hotel Ashok (ITDC)
Chinna Kalapet,
Puducherry – 605 001
Email :     
2655160
TO
2655166
Banayan Beach Resort
Kottakuppam, Puducherry
2234866
2234867
4207012
Kailash Beach Resort
Pooranankuppam Village
Ariyankuppam Commune
Puducherry – 605 007
2619700
2619703
2619704
St. James Court Beach Resort
Opp. Engineering College
ChinnaKalapet,
Puducherry – 604 014
Email :
2655276
5542950
2331241
The Dune (Beach Resort)
Pudhukuppam, Keelputhupet
Near Puducherry
Web  : www.thedune.org
2655751
-
Nalla Eco Beach Resort
Allamarathu Street
Chinnakalapet
Puducherry - 605 014
email : info@nallabeachresort.com
 2655686

Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Aurodhan Heritage Guest House
33, Francois Martin Street
Kuruchikuppam
Puducherry – 605 012
2222795
to
2222449
2222449
Hotel De L’ Orient
17, Romain Rolland Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2343067
2346589
2227829
Hotel de Puducherry
38, Dumas Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2227409 2330057
Heritage Villas of Puducherry
(Villa Helena)
No.14, Suffren Street,
Puducherry – 605 001
2226789 2227087
Patricia Guest House
2330057
2335130
2332776
Rendezvous Inn
30, Suffren Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2339132
Calve
36, Vysial Street
Puducherry – 605 001
calveheritagehotel@gmail.com
2223738 2222613
Maison Perumal
44, Perumal Koil Street,
Pondicherry www.cghearth.com 
email: maisonperumal@cghearth.com
2227519
9442127519
2227523

MID RANGE COMMERCIAL HOTELS
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Hotel Ajantha Sea View
Beach Road
Puducherry – 605 001
5501819 -
Hotel Surguru
104, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2339022
2227290
2334377
Anandham Residency
255, Rangapillai Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2226358
2226368
4210200
4210200
Hotel Aruna
3, Zamindar Garden
S.V.Patel Salai,
Puducherry – 605 012
2337756
2225677
-
Executive Inn
1A, Perumal Koil Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2224422
2330929
2343094
2343101
Hotel Jayaram
90, Kamaraj Salai
Puducherry – 605 011
2214311
2214313-316
2214877
Hotel Kanchi
Mission Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2335540
2349774
2349775
-
Puducherry Inn
Vallalar Salai, Kamaraj Nagar
Puducherry – 605 001
2213112 
To
2213115
-
Hotel Ram International
398, Anna Salai
Puducherry – 605 001
2337230 
To
2337235
2337230 
To
2337235
Shrilogaa Residency
23, 1st Cross, Brindavanam
Kamaraj Salai
Puducherry – 605 013
2244881
To
2244885
-
Hotel Soorya International
55, Rangapillai Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2336856
2227485
2227487
Sre Sairam Hotel
6, Maraimalai Adigal Salai
Puducherry – 605 001
2204777
2204778
2205829
2205832
Hotel Sri Sabthagiri
225, Maraimalai Adigal Salai
Puducherry – 605 001
2204856
5208108
-
Hotel Surguru
104, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2339022
2227290
2334377
The Richmond
No.12, Labourdonnais Street
Puducherry - 605 001
mail : richmondpondy@gmail.com
website : www.theresidency.com
Ph : 0413 - 2346363
Fax: 0413 - 2336333
Devis Grand
237, Lal Bahadur Shastri Street,
Puducherry-605001
www.devisgrand.com
2220222
2225222

GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSES/YATRINIVAS
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Chunnambar Tourist Lodge
(Tree Top House)
Chunnambar (Ariyankuppam)
Puducherry – 605 007
2600816
Government Tourist Home
Uppalam Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2358276
2358277
2358278
-
Yatri Nivas (Dormitory Type)
Kennedy Nagar,
Puducherry – 605 001
2303474 -
Youth Hostel
Solai Nagar,
Puducherry – 605 001
2237495

SMALLER COMMERCIAL HOTELS
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Hotel Aditya
104, Kamaraj Salai
Puducherry – 605 011
4207501 4207503
Sri Ramaa Guest House
36, Needa Rajappaiyar Street
(Near VOC School)
Puducherry – 605 001
5201427
5201988
5201889
-
Family Guest House
526, M.G.Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2228346
4208686
2220637
-
Sri Krishnas Guest House
29/31, Rangapillai Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2334477
2221818
2221010
2221333
Mid Town Guest House
152, M.G.Road
Puducherry – 605 001
5209955
5209966
-
Murugaa Inn’s
78, Kamaraj Salai
Puducherry – 605 011
4206555 -
Ram Guest
546, M.G.Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2220072
2222549
2337734
Samarpan Yatri Bhavan
3, Suffren Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2338972
Shree Ravikrishna Guest House
60, Vellala Street
Puducherry – 605 001
2224813
2224921
2223168

ASHRAM RELATED GUEST HOUSES
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Cottage Guest House
2338434
 
International Guest House
2336699
2221812
Park Guest House
Beach Road,
Puducherry – 605 001
2334412
Sea Side Guest House
14, Beach Road
Puducherry – 605 001
2336494
2221825

Home Stay
Name And Address
Phone No&Fax No
ISD Code-91-413
STD Code-0413
Phone
Fax
Meeranjali,
9, Capitain Marius X avier Street,
Puducherry
2334009
 

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