Exploring Pondicherry That Makes Us Pause To Wonder

Pondicherry’s reputation as the ‘Mini France of India’ is well deserved. From the Gorgeous Beaches to the Vintage Aesthetic, Gothic style churches to the spiritual retreats, 8th century ruins to the modern craftsmanship, there is more to this pretty town than what meets the eye. Pondicherry is one of the seven Union Territories of India, which was under French rule for more than 250 years and was liberated in 1954. Moreover, It is one of India’s favorite tourist destination with colonial buildings, churches, temples and statues, which still preserves a lot in the old part of town.

How to Reach

Pondicherry airport is located at 4KM from the city center and is a domestic airport. Pondicherry is connected with Road and Railways to all major towns and cities.

Our Roadtrip from Bangalore to Pondicherry

Being on roads, seeing new landscapes, taking it all in is something we always crave for. With our bags packed with Wanderlust we just drove off to Pondicherry in our car, as it was going to be a long boring weekend.

Route 1: Bangalore → Hosur → Krishnagiri → Chengam → Tiruvannamalai → Tindivanam → Pondicherry
View Map

This is the route which we took. As it is the shortest route which runs through NH 77 and covers a distance of 320 kilometers in 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Route 2: Bangalore → Hosur → Ambur → Vellore → Chepet → Tindivanam → Pondicherry
View Map

This is a scenic and interesting route to take on your road trip to Pondicherry. It passes through NH 48 and takes around 7 hours across 360 kilometers. We took this route on our way back to Bangalore, and visited this beautiful temple. A visit to this site would be a sheer delight for devotees, historians or anyone who appreciates authentic art & architecture.

Best time to visit

November to February: Pondicherry has a warm climate, but it is usually cooler during this time making it perfect for sightseeing, beach fun and water sports. However, you can expect crowds in the main attractions during the peak season.
Try to avoid Pondicherry during summers as the sun is scorching and the temperature goes above 40 degrees Celsius. (March to June)

Lets Explore 3 Sides of Pondicherry with Us

I am not dividing this charming city in 3 parts, we can never!! Even though the cityscape kept changing over a period of time, be it the French and Tamil, Contemporary and Colonial, Hedonistic and Spiritual, Past and Present, they all still wonderfully coexist, which is the most beautiful part. Lets explore the Mini France in a different light, a new perspective.

1. Vintage Aesthetics of Pondicherry, Full of Art, Architecture and Awe Bordered by the Gorgeous Beaches

We reached Pondy around late afternoon, the sunshine was mellow and warm as we were passing through the streets lined with colorful walls, which truly reveals the soul of the city. Instantly teleported to the French era, we then realized why Pondicherry is called Mini France of India.

Two of us in those broad, sun-dappled boulevards, lined with mustard, yellow and tangerine walls.

The city has an incredible coastline boasting of scenic beaches. After check in, and relaxing, we left for nearby Auroville Beach to enjoy the sunset.

Never met a Sunset I didn’t like!!

Serenity or Bodhi Beach is the place to be for more active adventures. You can sign up for awesome surfing sessions. In addition, you can try Pondy’s newest extreme sport, Parasailing, to get an amazing bird’s-eye view of the region. Paradise beach is Pondy’s most pristine beach. It is accessible by a boat that powers through the backwaters of the Chunnanbar river.

Promenade Beach has a myriad of sea-facing cafes in the long walkway bordering it. It turns into a pedestrian-only zone in the evening is best for evening walks beside the beach.

Sea-facing Promenade Walkway: A Walk to Remember

This scenic seaside promenade runs along the Bay of Bengal upon which stands the 89-foot high Old Lighthouse. Built in 19th century as there were no signal for the ships coming to Pondicherry. No wonder it still adds a rustic beauty to the monotonous structures around.
As we kept walking by the beach road, we found this huge Gandhi Statue surrounded by eight exquisitely carved monolithic granite pillars. It is one of the major landmarks in Pondicherry.

A row of Heritage Buildings & Scattered Statues letting you soak in Pondy’s History

French War Memorial (3rd picture) was built in 1937. It is a tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the First World War. During our walk on beach road we came across these statues with so many stories. It was almost like a treasure hunt, getting to know more and more about the past.

2. Pondicherry that makes us Pause to Wonder- The Home of Peace and Spirituality

As they say correctly, Rivers know this, there is no hurry; we shall get there some day. Somehow this side of Pondicherry knows this too.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram is one such place to be, named after a well-known Indian Philosopher and Yogi, Sri Aurobindo. It is a part of a unique global community that practices the art of living. They offer accommodation (in a few guests houses), meals and yoga classes. However visiting is free, but photography isn’t allowed. Sit & relax for 30 minutes and let all that fast-paced travel stress go, by visiting this place amidst your trip.

A visit to ashram really gave us a head-start as we had a lot of things planned for the day. We stopped at a local coffee shop to savor some Sukku Kaapi as the aroma there pulled us.

After having coffee we headed to the churches of Pondicherry that boast Peace and Tranquility. The Sacred Heart Basilica, built by French missionaries in 1908, is on the South Boulevard of Pondicherry. It has an unusual blend of French and Indian architecture. We spent some time there witnessing the architectural excellence.

The second church we visited was The Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Constructed in 1791,it is regarded as the main Mother Church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry. Its interiors are something you must not miss out.

A lovely statue of Virgin Mary right in front of the Church

3. Pondicherry’s Lost Ancient City & Its Treasures

“Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth“- One of our favorite quotes by Rumi to live by.
The above quote seemed quite apt here. After hearing so much about the rich history witnessed by Pondicherry during its existence, we drove off to find and unfold a hidden wonder- Arikamedu. It seemed like the trees were hiding this town away from the public glare just as history has shrouded this town and kept it hidden. Somehow we reached there by following Google maps. We just found a hut-shaped structure with a sign indicating- The Archaeological Survey of India’s Office. After following the same we found ruins of a gated boundary welcoming us with twin brick pillars having arches inside. The walls of the French Mission house were dilapidated beyond repair. The saddest part was, while this site is open for tourists, many still fail to understand the significance of it. There were no signboards or anyone to guide us.

Ancient fort at Arikamedu with foundations of buildings, arches, decaying bricks lying waiting to be heard

Arikamedu was basically a marketplace named Poduke or Poduca which was colonized & later became the union territory of Pondicherry. It has recorded histories that predate the colonial period. It is located 7 kilometers from the modern city of Pondicherry. The only place in India that used to be a marketplace for Roman Trade.

From the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes till the French, everybody established colonies in this region which raised the economy also. There is so much more which can be unearthed and discovered from this very site. Arikamedu deserves more attention than it gets.

The only way to know more about the artefacts uncovered from here was by visiting the Puducherry Museum. So we came back to the museum, which is the treasure house of artefacts from this place.
Visiting here felt like an interesting history lesson. We got to learn a lot about various time periods. The museum has Chola sculptures from Karaikal, and various artefacts like cups and plates of Terra Sigillata, ceramics, furniture and objects from French aristocratic households in colonial period.

A vintage collection of French era furniture & artifacts

Cafe/Lounges in Pondicherry That We Visited

Pondicherry is a South Indian coastal city that was under French influence for a long time. It is also home to some of the best restaurants and cafes. They are all lined in the streets that date back to the French Colonial era. You can get a great fusion of cuisines here. We have shared some of the restaurants and café details below, which we visited during our trip to Pondy.

SICILYS CAFE: It is located in Promenade walkway, Beach road. The interiors were nice with some cute book shelves on one side. The sea view made it even better. We tried burger and salad which was Lip smacking.

XTASI CAFE: We were attracted to this one because of the most photographed walls with cool graffities. It definitely had a vibe of its own. Although the food wasn’t anything special, we ordered Pizza and Honey Chilly Veg along with some Fruity Coolers to wheel away some time here. Also it was the nearest café from our hotel at Auroville Road. So we gave it a try for the our brunch, right after coming back from the Auroville beach.

LIGHTHOUSE, Promenade Hotel: We visited here twice for dinner, first time we had a buffet, which was really good. And the second time after our beach walk to try Sparkling Wine. The sea view again was the best part. The sound of waves crashing on the shore, and a view of the lighthouse makes it a well known spot among the tourists. We walked across the restaurant’s gate to enjoy the view of the Lighthouse & the lovely Seashore.

ICON PONDY: A cozy place to have some yummy Chinese & North Indian food. Its a small café with reasonable prices but fresh yummy food (mainly starters). We tried some Tandoori Starters and Soup. And had Falooda which is my favorite.

LB2 LOUNGE AND ICECUBES CLUB: Its a lit and happening place for young crowds in White Town. We came here in the evening as some live music was playing. We had some starters and tried their Martini, it was fun.

To sum up, Pondicherry is every bit gorgeous. It has all the things required for a relaxed vacation. It really makes us pause to find parts of ourselves which we lose while rushing between traffic lights, chasing the undefined.
Plan a trip to Pondy, have fun savoring every moment! Ours was a 3-Night 4-Day trip. But we would really love to visit Pondicherry soon again.

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