Discover Puducherry

A little bit of France

Are you quite aware of the unique ways to discover Pondy, hailed as French Riviera of the East or precisely La Côte d'Azur de l'Est, as the west recognize the former French enclave of Pondicherry, now Puducherry.

Go the French way amidst the policemen wearing red kepis and locals playing the hurling metal balls, giving a dose of French culture, as you stand in front of Alliance Francaise and Institut Francais de Pondicherry, whose priceless texts find a mention in UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World’ register. Observe prayer in French at Notre Dame des Anges, the only church in Pondicherry to have mass in three languages. English and Tamil are the other two languages, always available for the one, who have not yet caught the sublime French beauty. Oh yes, do not miss the marble statue of Jeanne d' Arc in front and the tomb of French governor Marquis de Bussy in an adjacent cemetery, a work of art from the corridor of history, you simply cannot afford to let go on the East Coast. Don't leave without catching an evening concert at Café de Flore, an informal garden restaurant at Alliance Francaise’s Maison Colombani, and realize, why it is still the French Riviera to the west and the world, as well.

Go boating at pleasures of Chunnambar to make it a friendlier kind of escapade for you. Still, if you want to avoid the life jacket rush, drive 7km south on Cuddalore Road where the serene backwaters awaits you for a leisurely boat ride. Moreover, to have the maximum out of your activities, opt for the river-jaunts, go on a sea cruise for dolphin sighting or take a speedboat to Paradise Beach with a picnic hamper to prop your day. 

Get blessed by one of the living demigods at Manakula Vinayagar, a 500-year-old shrine of Lord Ganesha which once stood closer to the shore where sand often swept into its pond. Nevertheless, no matter, how mighty old this temple might be, but it had to face the attempts by French missionaries of pulling it down. But, it survived and remained rooted to its origin. The temple is a celebration of the elephant-headed god, Ganesha, whose various forms adorn the walls. As you offer a coin to Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Ganesha, the temple elephant to receive your offer will assure you with a thump from her trunk as you have been blessed!

Have you ever been to a restaurant with no name! Well, spend a day enjoying the Franco-Tamil cuisine at a restaurant with no name. Located on Perumal Koil Street in the Tamil Quarter is Maison Perumal, a Chettiar mansion, although, beautifully restored by CGH Earth, but never speaks about its presence. Like in a house, the rooms are left with no number and the courtyard restaurant bears no name. Dine on the day’s fixed menu of fresh seafood platters surrounded by ooralis (brass troughs), sepia tinted photos and stain glass panes glinting in the sun. 

While there’s no zoo in Pondicherry, but there are ample of plans to set up, after the success of Life of Pi. Be where it happened. It was the scenic locale of the Botanical Garden that served as the film set. However, established in 1826, the 22-acre garden was a French experiment to analyse the feasibility of crops in the area, but now it can sooth the nature in you, as well. Flowerbeds and graveled pathways were added later and today it’s a treasure trove of 900 exotic plants, with an aquarium, a toy train and a musical fountain as its other attractions, to mesmerize the senses in you, naturally. The centrally located Bharathi Park, at the site of the demolished Fort Louis and military parade ground, is the city’s other lung space with the Arc de Triomphe-sque Aayi Mandapam dominating the centre. 

Hone a skill at Auroville, as there is more to Auroville than just the Matri Mandir. Live and learn in the global village of ideas, where its dwellers perfect crafts from handmade paper or Auroville Papers, indigo-dyed clothing, better known as The Colours of Nature, incense manufacture or Encens d'Auroville and bodycare or Maroma Spa to energy-efficient solutions. Besides, workshops and internship programs, there is a huge communal bonfire in the Amphitheatre on 21 Feb and 28 Feb to celebrate the birthdays of the Mother and Auroville. Be there to lift your spirit.

Explore Beach Road or Goubert Avenue on foot, a seaside avenue lined by charming colonial buildings like the French Institute, French Consulate General, Secretariat, Villa Bayoud heritage hotel and Promenade Hotel, built in 1878 as a railway station. Further, as you amble down to the old groundnut bag embankment, be where a statue of Mahatma Gandhi now stands, the tallest in Asia. Beyond the 88ft lighthouse, the first on the Coromandel Coast, are the Custom House, French War Memorial, Le Café - a port house till the 1930s) and statue of French Governor Dupleix at the southern end of the promenade. With no vehicular traffic between 6pm to 7.30am, it’s ideal for evening and morning jaunts to walk down the historic promenade.

While little remains of the Roman trading settlement at Arikamedu, one can piece together the jigsaw at Pondicherry Museum, when Pondicherry flourished as the port town of Poduke. The century old Law Building, erstwhile residence of the French Administrator, displays Roman pottery and Megalithic burial urns. Dig more in the Transport Gallery that features palanquins, carts and the Pousse Pousse, a vehicle pushed from the rear and steered by a rider. If you are keen on the indoor aesthetic, delight your eyes in the French-India Gallery see period furniture like tête-à-têtes (S-shaped sofas), comptoirs, escritoires (writing tables and desks) and the cot used by French Governor Dupleix (1742-1754), whose bust adorns the museum. Abreast yourself with some little history of this place with the history lessons at Pondicherry museum.

Get drawn into Pondy’s many cafes and boulangeries, where the tantalizing aroma of fresh croissants and baguettes hangs in the air. Overlooking the pier, is Le Café, a 24-hour coffee lounge serving organic beverages, pastries and snacks. Catch an evening concert at Café de Flore, an informal garden restaurant at Alliance Francaise’s Maison Colombani.Hang out at a café, and you will cherish it with the lingering aroma and the bouquet of activities you had in Pondicherry

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