The French Riviera of the East - Pondicherry

Pondy, as it’s fondly called, holds a special place in my heart; mainly because it was my first ever self-financed trip.

I took this trip back in 2016 & I think I might just plan a revisit once the world is travel ready.

Puducherry (now its official name) is located on the southeast coast of India and serves as an ideal road trip destination with a pretty scenic view.

The first thing you have to do when you set foot in Pondy is try the food! Simply amazing! The wine and cheese pays a perfect tribute to Pondy’s history. Pondicherry was witness to French colonisation until 1954. The evidence of which can be experienced in White Town, which is also the most touristy spot of the city.

The Promenade at White Town

The Promenade is the heart of White Town. Located just at a walking distance from most of the hotels in White Town, it has more to offer than just the calming view of the Bay of Bengal.

A little walk further down the Promenade brought me to the French Memorial, made in honour of those who died for the country during World War I.

Opposite of which is the Gandhi Mandappam (Gandhi Memorial) - a grand four meter square statue surrounded by eight pillars, something which makes it a challenging snap to capture in one shot!

Besides these key attractions, the Pomendare hosts parks & cute little sea-view cafes to provide a complete touristy experience.

White Town

White Town can easily be explored on foot - just like the French prefer. Full of colourful buildings, walk-in exhibitions, antique looking book stores along with other attractions; one can make a day at White Town.

For the history buffs, The Puducherry Museum presents an impressive display of artefacts from the Chola & the Pallava dynasties. It also houses a printing press & a real-life size presentation of how the transportation looked in the earlier times. Photography was prohibited in the museum.

Somewhere in White Town

In India, you’ll always find a temple to visit. Temples in each state of India have their own set of architecture, design & story to share. After all, have you really visited a place without soaking in its culture?

In Arumigu Manakula Vinayagar temple, you get a chance to be blessed by an elephant! Elephants are considered sacred in the Indian culture. In fact, the deity to whom this temple honours has the face of an elephant! According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva placed the head of an elephant on Lord Ganesha after decapitating his human head over a misunderstanding.

Whether a believer or an atheist, I feel the beautiful interiors can be appreciated by all & should not be missed.

The Aurobindo Ashram offers a peaceful environment to indulge in reflection & self-thought. You will find many devotees & tourists engaged in mediation all throughout its campus. And you need not take any course, you can just sit quietly with your eyes closed in mindfulness to enjoy its tranquillity.

Photography is prohibited inside the ashram.

After you are done exploring White Town, you can call it a day at one of its many recommended cafes and bakeries.

Auroville

A trip to Pondi is amiss without a visit to the nearby experimental township, Auroville. Auroville is built on the principles of “human unity” where everyone is welcomed to live irrespective of culture and beliefs. The only ask of this township is to live in peace and harmony with nature.

Auroville was created on the visions of Shri Aurobindo - an Indian nationalist and guru; by The Mother, who was a disciple of Shri Aurobino.

At the very heart of Auroville is Matrimandir - a special place dedicated to meditation. “Matrimandir” in Sanskrit translates to “The Temple of The Mother”. While a visit inside Matrimandir is possible, it has a long waiting period; sometimes a month or two. The dome is located in a land called Peace & you can view it from outside from a viewing point.

"There should be somewhere on earth a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme Truth" - The Mother

You might want to give it a full day to visit & plan the travel a day prior as it is situated slightly away from the main city. Be sure to rent a vehicle for the day as you might not find local transport near it.

A model of the interiors of Matrimandir, depicting spiral staircase leading to the inner chamber of meditation.

Paradise Beach

The name says it all. White sand & turquoise colour water, the quiet beach has become famous among tourists to spend a beach picnic while visiting Pondicherry. A cruise service is available to take the tourist to the beach & the queue is quite long. I didn't account for the long queue and had to give it a miss. But it’s first on the list for my revisit to Pondi.

Clicked At the Promenade

Signing off on a small quote I found at my hotel's rooftop bar. Hope my safarnama makes you want to plan a visit to Pondi as well. I would recommend staying in a hotel in White Town since most of the attractions are a walk away & there is something pleasant about its ambience, & not to forget the warm hospitality of the hotel staff.

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