Monsoon Holidays:Pondicherry - Give Time a Break!

Listen to the roaring of the waves at the Paradise, Serenity and the Auroville Beach while taking a stroll along the 1.5 km long promenade. Admire the diplomacy of Dupleix as you pass through his statue, take inspiration from the statue of Joan of Arc, remember the brave at the War Memorial and stand tall with your arms spread atop the old light house; Seek blessings as you make your way through the white and brown neo-gothic Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There are a number of other churches that you can visit, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes - similar to the one in Basilica; The Greco-roman Church of our Lady of the Angels with its rare oil painting of Our Lady of the Assumption (believed to be gifted by the French emperor, Napoleon III) and the Cathedral of Notre Dame with its strong resemblance to the one in France are a few that you should not miss.

Those interested in temples can visit the 300 year’s old Manakula Vinayagar Koil temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh. The temple is famous for its architecture. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple located on MG Road is said to be oldest temple of Puducherry. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. A unique amalgamation of the Tamil and French architecture can be seen at the Temple of Kanniga Parameswari located on MG Road.

There are also a handful of mosques in Pondicherry. The 350 years old Meeran Mosque is known for its sheer elegance. The other well-known mosques in Pondicherry include the Kuthbha Mosque, Jamia Mosque and the Mulla Mohammad Mosque.

Aurobindo Ashram (Timings 8 am–noon and 2-5.30 pm) is surely not to be missed. You may sit in silent contemplation at the Matrimandir of Auroville or enjoy a heritage walk through the French boulevards. If wish to go beyond the French history then drive 7 km to Arikamedu to see the various excavations that trace the city’s trade links with the Romans way back in the 1st Century AD.

Nearby Places
Other places that you may visit include Chunnambar, located 8 km away, popular for a boat ride; Mandagapattu (60 km away) is known for its 7th Century Pallava style Cave Temple; Gingee (68 km away) is a historical city famed for its massive fort and palace ruins; Gangaikondacholapuram (88 km away), a UNESCO world heritage site is known for its magnificent Brihadeshwara Temple;  and Chidambaram (58 km away) an  important temple town of Tamil Nadu is known for its Nataraja Temple.

From small commercial to up market hotels, from ashrams to beach resorts, Pondicherry provides a wide range of accommodation to suit the budget of its travellers. Hotels in Pondicherry provide comfortable accommodation to tourists. Check out hotels in Pondicherry.

By Air: The nearest airport is at Chennai, which is 135 km from Puducherry.

By Rail: Villupuram is the nearest junction, which is well connected to places like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy.

By Road: Pondicherry is well connected to most places in Tamil Nadu - Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Trichy and Coimbatore as also to Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh by road. There are frequent buses, almost every 15 minutes in the day from Chennai’s new bus stand in Koyembedu to Pondicherry.

Check Driving Directions from Chennai to Pondicherry