A largest French colony in India is Pondicherry, India.
This place was called as Pondicherry and also Pondi by many people, but now this place is officially named as Puducherry.
This is a very beautiful city where you can spend a great holiday along with your family and it can be a great holiday if you are traveling along with your friends also.
If you are looking for a peaceful place to spend your holiday, then this is the place that you should book your tickets to.
Many people from South India choose this place as their favorite destination to spend a great vacation with entire family.
The spiritual culture and the modern heritage of this place Pondicherry is something this is making this more popular place.
This was a place with a lot of history about war and trade, but now it is a place which is a holiday spot.
This is a place where you will be able to enjoy the mixed culture of both east and west as well.
If you are traveling from Chennai to this place Pondicherry, then for sure you will be able to see this mix of west and east culture.
There are many restaurants which serve wine and steak, the French architecture.
Everything on your way to this place is going to be just awesome and you will love the place.
Just reach the place, relax and forget about your stressful days at work and enjoy a pleasant holiday.
Best time to visit Pondicherry ?
There can never be a wrong time to visit Pondicherry and enjoy the serene and calm beaches of this place.
This is a place where you will see hot climate all round the year and the hottest months here are March through June.
So make sure that you are not planning your trip during this period of time.
Always plan your trip to Pondicherry between October to February as the climate during these months is comfortable for people from all parts of the world.
October is considered as the month of the most beautiful months of Pondicherry but the real heaven of this place starts in the month of November when the rains start pouring off.
December and January are the most crowded months in this place as many people come from many parts of the world to celebrate Christmas and New Year eve.
The temperature in the hottest months is between 26 degrees C to 36 degrees C and sometimes it may go a little high as well.
Just after these hottest months, you can enjoy the Monsoons but they combine with the winter months November to December and that is the reason why they are the most beautiful months in Pondicherry.
There are many festivals that you can enjoy during these months, but your trip to Pondicherry is definitely going to be the best holiday that you have never spent in India.
This place may not be similar to Goa, but you are going to have the same fun here as well and what is the point in visit this place Pondicherry when it is similar to another place Goa.
So, it is different but full of excitement and fun.
You will enjoy every single minute that you have spent in this place.
Best things to do in Pondicherry, India
Now, it is time to check the place and things to do in Pondicherry as you are now aware of when to visit this beautiful holiday destination:
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Sri Aurobindo Gosh, is the founder of this Sri Aurobindo Ashram and this is an interesting place that you should not miss when you are visiting Pondicherry.
This is in fact a spiritual community which was founded in the year 1926 and since then this place has become one of the best place for the spiritual seekers and the tourists who visit Pondicherry.
There is a lot to see and learn at this Sri Aurobindo Ashram and this is one of the main reasons why many people who visit Pondicherry do not miss to visit this ashram.
You have printing press, a library, many offices to serve the tourists, an art gallery, a beautiful playground for the kids, farms, dairy, nursing home, bakery and also a guest house.
Aurobindo Gosh was initially into politics, but later he moved to this place along with his four followers and started this place.
You will find the Samadhi of this great person Aurobindo Gosh in the main building.
There are specific visiting hours like 8 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.
If you are planning to visit this place then make sure that you are visiting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram during these timings only.
Even if you are going along with your kids, nothing to worry as there is a beautiful playground for your kids while you check the ashram.
My favorite stuff to do in Pondicherry
Auroville
Another very interesting place in Pondicherry which is just 8 kilometers away and is located on the north west of Pondicherry is Auroville.
This place was founded in the year 1968 by Mirra Alfassa who worked for years with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
The meaning of the name of this place is The City of Dawn.
The design of this building is in the shape of a huge lotus and it was designed by a French architect Roger Anger.
The main idea behind this place creation was to create a universal town where people from any part of the world can live irrespective of their language, country, style, color, caste and anything.
There would be no difference in people living in this place.
To symbolize this, the soils from 124 places were placed in this building and constructed.
You are going to have really great fun when you see this place.
There is a lot of history associated with this place and you will be able to get all the information if you are hiring a good guide when you are going to this place.
This building itself is really amazing.
Fun things to do in Pondicherry
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Is a three hundred years old church which was constructed in the year 1791.
The construction of the building begun in the year 1791 but all the changes and the complete construction was done by 1987.
The recent renovation was in the year 1987.
This place where you can see this church was a place of three more churches in the past, that was before the French occupied this place Pondicherry.
This is one of the oldest churches in Pondicherry and you should definitely not miss this Cathedral when you are visiting Pondicherry.
It is also said that Mother Teresa also visited this place and she just loved the architecture and designing of this cathedral.
If you are visiting Pondicherry in the month of December then you will be able to enjoy the feast of this cathedral which is celebrated on 8th December every year.
This is going to be a very grand feast and you will love it.
This place is having another name also and that is the “Samba Kovil” by the local people.
Plan to visit this place on weekdays as it is going to be overcrowded on Sundays.
Popular Pondicherry tourist attractions
Pleasant and Beautiful beaches
There are many Pleasant and Beautiful beaches in this place Pondicherry, where you will be able to spend some interesting and pleasant time.
Any holiday can be really great if that place is having at least one beach, but fortunately this place is having a lot of beaches where you will be able to spend a lot of time.
You can go to sunbath, tanning, and also you will be able to enjoy many water sports in this place.
You will have many hotels and resorts as well, near the beaches.
If you are a big fan of this kind of beaches then you should make sure that you make your accommodation plans near the beach so that you will be able to enjoy the beach anytime whenever you want to.
Your kids are also going to have a lot of fun at these beaches as there are so many and why would kids not love these beaches.
Almost all the beaches here are maintained well and the water is clean and flat.
So, why miss such beautiful beaches like Paradise beach, Promenade beach, Serenity beach and many others.
What else to do in Pondicherry ?
Ousteri Wetland and National Park
Another interesting place which will be liked by the entire family is Ousteri Wetland and National Park.
This is a place which is on the border of both Chennai and Pondicherry but it is not really far from Pondicherry.
It is just 10 kilometers away from Pondicherry and you will have a lot of transportation facilities to reach this place.
This place is 3.9 square kilometers in area and it will not take much of your time for visiting.
One of the important reasons why many tourists visit this place is due to the houseboats.
You will be able to enjoy a nice ride on these boats while enjoying a variety of birds that migrate to this place.
You also get a chance to see a variety of avi fauna and aqua fauna at this place and you should not miss them for sure.
As this place is having a lot of birds migrating to this place, you will be able to click a lot of photographs which you are going to cherish for a very long time.
Do not miss this place, many people ignore this place as it is 10 kilometers away but remember that is worth visiting.
Is Pondicherry worth visiting?
The answer is Yes.
Pondicherry is worth visiting.
This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventours.
Make sure you visit the following stunning place:
Basilica Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
A very beautiful gothic church architecture which was constructed in the year 1907 is Basilica Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus and this church has been attracting tourists for years.
You are just going to love the design and architecture of this church.
There are many churches in Pondicherry but this Basilica Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus has become one of the most popular churches in Pondicherry and many Christians from across the universe visit this place every year.
The church is 48 meters wide, fifty meters long, the height of the church is 18 meters and it is having 24 columns in total.
The stained windows of the church is another attraction for the tourists visiting this church.
You will find the stained glasses of the saints, and they are almost 28 saints.
This church was recently renovated in the year 2005.
You will be able to see the renovated church, but there were just a few minor changes done to the church and you are going to love it for sure.
What else to see in Pondicherry ?
Temples in Pondicherry
There are many people who are visiting this place Pondicherry to enjoy the churches and the Christmas eve celebration, but do you know that there are many Hindus who visit this temple every year.
Yes, just like a lot of temples, Pondicherr is also having a lot of temples.
There are almost 15 popular and huge temples in this place.
There are many more small Temples in Pondicherry.
So, this place is not just for Christians, it is also for people of all cultures and communities.
One of the most popular temples among those 15 temples is a Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple.
This is a 600 year old temple and is said that this is the oldest temples in Pondicherry.
The architecture of this temple is said to be very interesting and you should not miss visiting this temple among those 15 temples.
If you are planning a very long holiday in Pondicherry, then try to visit all the temple for sure.
Hire a guide who can help you in visiting all temples in a very short period of time.
Popular places to visit in Pondicherry
Botanical Garden, Pondicherry
If you are looking for more examples which show the French influence in our country, then this place Botanical Garden, Pondicherry is one of the examples.
This place was constructed in the year 1826.
This place was laid as a garden by the French, but later in the year 1931, this place was changed into a botanical garden.
The gate of this botanical garden is the highlight of this garden and you are going to love it for sure.
Do not forget to click a lot of pictures at the front of this gate as they are going to be memorable for years.
You will also have a musical fountain in this place and there are two shows in the evening everyday.
You can plan to enjoy these musical shows in the evening as they are going to be great fun for you and your kids as well.
So do not miss this place.
Things to do around Pondicherry
French War Memorial
This is a place to see all the brave people of the French war.
This is a very interesting place which is having a lot of history associated with it and it is located just beside the Promenade beach in Pondicherry.
While you are enjoying the beach, you can also take a few minutes out of that time and visit this French War Memorial.
This is definitely a great place to visit on your trip to Pondicherry.
It would be wonderful if you can visit this place in the evening when the lights are on in this place.
This French war memorial was built in the year 1971 as a memorial to all those brave soldiers of French who lost their lives in the first world war.
On July 14th every year, lights are illuminated and homage is paid to all these brave soldiers.
Things to do in Pondicherry with kids
Water Sports
As there are so many beaches in this place Pondicherry, you will be able to enjoy many water sports here.
There are many water sports like windsurfing, surfing, snorkeling and scuba.
If you are experienced in these water sports, then you can straight away start enjoying them and if you are not having experience, then you still have people to train you.
You can get the complete instructions and start enjoying them.
The water of these beaches in clean and the waves are not really high.
So it is a great place to enjoy all kinds of water sports.
Make sure that you are carrying required clothes and all other things that are required for these water sports.
Must see places in Pondicherry
NightLife in Pondicherry
Being a very popular place in India for many tourists across the world, you will have a chance to enjoy wonderful NightLife here.
Yes, on the shore of the beaches, you have many bars, pubs, discos for you to enjoy the nightlife and this is definitely going to be a very exciting experience in your holiday in Pondicherry.
Pondicherry is considered as a very popular weekend destination for many neighboring cities.
So, do not miss the fun in the night as well.
So, after so much of information about the places to see in Pondicherry and the best time to visit this place, you must be planning a nice vacation this place.
If you are doing so, then make sure you are planning the accommodation well in advance in order to avoid any problems after reaching the place.
Have a great trip to Pondicherry along with your family and friends, one of the best holiday locations in India.
