Pondicherry is a historic town and it has several attractions to visit. You can have a nice time here with your dear ones. Read on.
Pondicherry or Puducherry is the former French colony along the coastlines of Tamil Nadu. It is about 150 km from Chennai. It is a nice destination for a holiday tour and once you arrive here you would witness a great mix of Tamil and French cultures. The French charms are long gone and what has remained are just the traces of the past. Most of the feel of the town is as Indian as it can get in this part of the world. Although, the low rise houses and the wide skyline offer a great respite for anyone. You can find all kinds of hotels in Pondicherry, whether it is the luxury ones or the budget ones. The utopian Auroville, Gingee hill fortress, and the temple town of Chidambaram are the main attractions to explore in this town.
It is quite interesting to know that the town finds its origin back to as early as the first century and excavations in Arikamedu have dug out a seaport that was in use back then. This port was used for an established trade with the Roman Empire. That period of time is much obliterated in evidence and tales now and the present folklores and facts of the town start from the period when the Portuguese and the French arrived here along with others in the 16th and 17th century. The modern portrait of Pondicherry started to form thereon.
The original pattern of the streets and the roads was planned by the Portuguese and later on French took it to reality. The old French Quarters have survived the destruction of time and you can visit the old city to see and imagine how it must have looked like in the old days. Goubert Avenue is the long promenade famous for strolls in Pondicherry. It is also known as the Beach Road. When you visit the French Quarters you would see small houses with porticos, gardens and ceilings and arches. From here you can head to the Gandhi Memorial which has eight granite columns carved elegantly. The columns were brought over from the Fort of Gingee in 1750s.
Other attractions to visit while in Pondicherry are the Bharathi Park, Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry Cathedral, Pillai Mansion, and the Pondicherry Museum. Explore these places and buildings as you go about checking out the popular tourist sites in Pondicherry. The easiest way to reach Pondicherry is by taking a flight. Air India has frequent flights to Pondicherry. Bon Voyage!