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Places to Visit in Pondicherry

Dhruvil Nisar
September 27, 2023
2:44 pm

Referred to as the French capital of India, Pondicherry is in the southern part of India. Pondicherry is also a Union Territory of India. It has many attractions and tourist spots, allowing many visitors from the country. It blends historic culture and modernisation, making it worth a visit. So let us explore what Pondicherry offer to its visitors.

Top 6 Places to Visit in Pondicherry

Manakula Vinayagar Temple

You can start your early morning visit from the Ganesha temple. The South Indian temple architecture has a different vibe altogether. They are so colourful yet cultural that they catch your eye. Various small stalls outside the temple provide pooja-related items like coconut, flowers, scented sticks and prasad. Phone or video recording is not allowed in the temple. It is very close to the beach, so if you visit the beach, make sure you visit the temple. The temple is dedicated to lord Ganesha and is called y the name of Manakula Vinayagar Temple and said to be 500 years old. The temple is always crowded, owing to its significance.

Promenade Beach

The Promenade beach, quite popular as Pondi beach, is a famous tourist spot in Pondicherry. It is the perfect place for photography and all nature lovers, as the surrounding is quite exotic. Although it is a beach, bathing is not allowed. Neither are any sports activities like Scooter riding, Banana boat etc. are available to enjoy. But you can relax and have a walk on the 1.5 km long path. You can also check out a cool café named Le café, which is just in front of the beach. Try your hands on the local and exotic food it offers. Nearby attractions on the beach are Heritage town, Old Lighthouse and the War Memorial. If you have extra time to spare you can visit all these places. The beach is very clean, and one fascinating thing is that people clean the beach by themselves. You can enjoy coconut water and other street food available on the beach.

Auroville

It opens at 9-00 am; in the morning and closes at 1-00 p.m. It is a meditation centre where people from 59 nationalities come and meditate. As the name goes, so is the vibe. The place is so peaceful and soothing that you get engrossed there. It is a huge space with all the meditation facilities, green garden and peaceful environment required for a meditation centre. Do visit once and have a deep insight into yourselves.

Paradise Beach

Everybody must have heard about this beach when searching for places to visit in Pondicherry. It is because of the tourists that it attracts on day to day basis. The beach is basically an island, and you must take a boat to reach the island. The entry ticket is Rs 10 per person, and you need to purchase the boating tickets costing Rs 350 per person. Children below 10 years old have a ticket price of Rs 175. If it is a holiday, you will encounter a huge crowd and must be in line for boating. It takes around 10-15 minutes to reach the beach via boat. The view is amazing; you can feel the cool breeze and hairs flying in the air. The beach can be visited from morning to evening, and the ticket counter closes at 6-00 p.m; in the evening.

After reaching Paradise Beach Island, you have to walk for around 1.5 km. Once you reach the beach, you will see the amazing view. On this beach, different activities are conducted, such as Paragliding, speed boat riding and many more. You can choose any of the activities which you wish to do. The cost per ride is different, though. You can also play different sports like volleyball, badminton and more. There are horses available to let you explore the beach on horses. The beach islands have hotels, restrooms and several restaurants. Enjoy local food and treat your taste buds. Apart from restaurants, there are several food stalls and shacks at the beachside. Photography and videography are other main features that you can do owing to lots of different things the beach provides to its visitors. If lucky, you can also spot jellyfish on the shore of the beach. Thus it’s a must-visit place while you are travelling to Pondicherry. Return back on the boat again to reach the destination.

Rock beach

Pondicherry is known for its clean and clear beaches. Another beach that you can visit is the Rock beach. The sunrise and sunset are beautiful things to watch on this beach. It is located in the main white town of Pondicherry, and you can stay there for hours, gaining so much calmness and peace. In the evening, loads of water activities are conducted on the rock beach. The war memorial is just at the beginning of the beach. Many restaurants and café available near the beach, like Belgian waffles, eat and meet and more. You can visit many other spots near the beach, such as the Kalinga Art gallery, the embroidery centre and more.

White Town

Explore the main White Town while in Pondicherry. The architecture and buildings constructed are so good that you will feel you are roaming around in some French city. There you must check out Café Des Art. It is the most popular café in the White town, owning to its quirky walls and art-inspired café. It serves popular French food, so it’s a rage among tourists to visit the café.

How to Reach Pondicherry

By Air- Pondicherry has an airport, but there are hardly any direct flights from major cities of India. So you need to take a connecting flight and reach Pondicherry airport.

By Train: Pondicherry, now known as Puducherry, has a railway station with trains coming from all major cities like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Rameshwaram and more. So you can book a train accordingly and reach over there.

By Road: Board local, interstate, or private buses to Puducherry. If coming by personal car or taxi, road connectivity is quite good. Chennai to Puducherry is only 150 km away, so travelling by road won’t be a problem.