Pondicherry – Place To See
25 Best Places To Visit In Pondicherry
A love child of the French and Indian cultures, Pondicherry (Pudducherry) is a beach-side union territory located in Tamil Nadu. Previously until 1954, Pondicherry was French settlement. Now the old Bouganvellia-draped French-style houses, churches and even the newly built French-style shops, bright coloured cafes and restaurants give Pondicherry an exotic character to it.
This French capital of India will definitely make you feel like you are someplace out of India when you visit places like the Rock Beach, Pondicherry Beach, Serenity Beach or the Botanical Gardens. And the best place to see Pondicherry with the same notion is to visit Auroville and Sri Aurobindo Ashram where people from all over the world come to seek spirituality through yoga and meditation.
Pondicherry is such a place, which will never cease to surprise you with its unique style. There are several cafes and restaurants that serve impeccable French cuisine along with some lip-smacking international cuisines as well. As a popular beach-town, Pondicherry also offers you with the amazing nightlife through numerous clubs and beach-parties offering great music and delicious cocktails. There is so much to do and explore here, that you will not want to go back and experience more and more of this quaint French town of India.
Pondicherry Attractions
Shri Aurobindo Ashram
About the Place: This ashram was founded by renowned freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa in the year 1926. It is a holy destination for many travelers who are seeking spirituality. Not only this, the ashram which is one of the most spiritual places to visit in Pondicherry, teaches different ways to make your mind calm and peaceful. Yoga and meditation is usual practice in Aurobindo ashram. If you need to do photography inside the ashram, you have to take the permission of authorities. Ashram also consists of a library which can only be entered after taking a gate pass.
Location: The ashram is situated near the junction of Manakula Vinayagar, Kovil Street and Marine Street, White town, Pondicherry.
Best Time To Visit: The ashram is open on all the days of the week. You can easily spend 1 to 2 hours in this peaceful place.
Timings: The ashram remains open from 8 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm every day.
Distance From Pondicherry Bus Stand: Sri Aurobindo Ashram is situated at a distance of 2.6 km from the bus station which is a journey of 9 minutes.
Rock Beach
About the Place: Rock beach is regarded as one of the most attractive sight-seeing places in Pondicherry. This beach is situated on the busy streets of Pondicherry. In the evening, a lot of activities take place on the beach which makes the place even more happening. It is surrounded by restaurants, art galleries, and the famous French war memorial is just 0.4 km away from the beach. In order to get a sunrise view, many people book a hotel near the rock beach. You will also find many food outlets located nearby. So you can spend your evening enjoying your favorite food and a scenic view.
Location: A beauty spot at the heart of the city, Rock beach is located in White Town, Pondicherry.
Best Time To Visit: It is a memorable moment when you see sunrise or sunset at the beach. Most people tend to visit the beach in evening or the early morning. You can give a refreshing start to your morning in midst of this serene spot.
Distance From Pondicherry Bus Stand: The Rock beach is situated at the distance of 2.7 km from Pondicherry bus stop. It might take just 10 minutes to cover this distance.
Raj Niwas
The Raj Niwas building is constructed on the foundation of a hotel named Hotel De La Compagnie. This is the government house of the Pondicherry and is a blend of both Indian and French architecture. The previous name of this Raj Niwas is Palais du Government. The Raj Niwas isn’t open to public but it is one of the attractions in Pondicherry. Most of the people who went on a trip to Pondicherry will surely pay a visit to this Raj Niwas to enjoy the Indo-French architecture. The monolithic pillars, fountain are the biggest asset of this Raj Niwas. They enhance the look of the construction as well as add royalty too. The public can go into the Raj Niwas on some special days and occasions only.
Location: White Town, Pondicherry 605001.
Best Time To Visit: The Best Time To Visit: Raj Niwas will be between 12 pm and 1:30 pm as you will be allowed into the house. The point to remember here is the passes are limited to 40 per day.
Timings: The Raj Niwas will be open between 12pm and 1:30 pm
Distance Between Pondicherry Bus stand and Raj Nivas: The distance from Pondicherry bus station to Raj Nivas is 2.6 kms which can be travelled in 4-5 mins.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry
Immaculate Conception Cathedral is also known as Samba Kovil. It is the mother cathedral church for all the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral present in Pondicherry is pretty much similar to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral present in France. The church was built in 1791 and still looks at its best. The lady holding the Jesus statue is present in the front of the church. Many people love the old charm that this church exerts and adore it. This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Pondicherry. This beautiful piece of architecture will leave you spellbound.
Location: Mission St. MG Road Area, Pondicherry 605001
Best Time To Visit: Visit this church in between April to June.
Timings: Similar to other churches you can visit the church at any time and peace of mind is guaranteed.
Distance from Pondicherry Bus Stand to Immaculate Conception Cathedral: The distance from Pondicherry bus stand to Immaculate Conception Cathedral is 2.2 kms which takes 2-3 minutes to travel.
Auroville Beach
About the Place: This beach is situated at a distance of 12kms from the Pondicherry town. This destination is most popular among youngster and people who love swimming. You can find a plethora of people at the beach on weekends. You can find many hotels and restaurants along the beach. The morning scenes at the beach are too crowded as many people would love to walk around this calm and serene Location:, looking at the sunrise. The beach closes at 6:30 pm in evening. This is the most crowded street in Pondicherry.
Location: The beach is situated at a distance of 12 km from the region of Pondicherry. It exactly lies in Periyamudaliar, Chavadi, Tamilnadu.
Best Time To Visit: The Best Time To Visit: this place is early morning as the environment at that time is calm and tranquil.
Timings: The closing time for the beach is 6:30 pm.
Distance From the Pondicherry Bus Stand: This beach lies at a distance of 10.5 km from the union territory of Pondicherry. It would roughly take around 20 minutes to travel to the bus stand from this beach.
Basilica Of the Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Pondicherry
About the Place: This church, one among the 21 basilicas in India, is a famous pilgrimage for roman catholic Christians and considered one of the best places to visit in Pondicherry.It was built in 1908 by French missionaries. The sacred heart Basilica, a 100- years- old structure represents gothic architecture. It is 50 meters long, 48 meters wide and 18 meters high. Inside the church, there are 28 glass paintings which are a depiction of the life of Christ and saints of the church. The church has a huge area on the exterior too.
Location: The church is located on the south boulevard of Pondicherry. Its address is 132, Subbaiah salai, Pondicherry, 605001.
Best Time To Visit: This sacred abode of Jesus remains open throughout the year. People visit the church in masses during the Christmas festival. Though there is no specific time of the month to visit, a large number of outsiders can be seen here during winters considering the climatic condition of Pondicherry.
Timings: Monday-Saturday: 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM, Sunday: 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Distance From Pondicherry Bust-Stand: The church is situated 2.5 Km away from Pondicherry bus stand towards south boulevard.
Botanical Garden
This is one of the most beautiful as well as interesting places in Pondicherry. The botanical garden was built by the colonists of French and gives perfect knowledge and information that is required. The park is the representation of French architecture. It is the best place to get educated as well as have some recreation. The garden was built in 1826 in a complete French style and is spread out in 22 acres of land. People can witness nearly 1500 different species of plants here. All the plants have placards that give the complete information of the plants. The garden is comprised of six attractive fountains, one dancing fountain, Japanese rock, kids train, ornamental fishes in an aquarium and many more.
Location: Marimalai Adigal Salai, Near Anna Statue, Orleanpet, Pondicherry-605001.
Best Time To Visit: There is no Best Time To Visit: botanical gardens. You can visit anytime during the visiting hours.
Timings: The botanical garden is open from 10 AM in the morning to 7 PM in the evening daily.
Distance from Pondicherry Bus stand to Botanical Gardens: The distance between Pondicherry bus stand and botanical gardens is 1km and it takes nearly 2-3 minutes to travel.
French Soldiers Memorial (War Memorial)
The French soldiers memorial is constructed in order to honor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country in World War I. The war memorial was constructed in 1970 and is one of the best attractions in Pondicherry. The memorial is decorated beautifully on 14th July of every year and is celebrated as Bastille Day. The people from complete Pondicherry and remaining other places visit this war memorial and respect the soldiers in the form of homage. The war memorial is smaller in size and doesn’t take much time to take a trip around it. The memorial itself has a good and positive vibe which make many people from in and around Pondicherry to visit it.
Location: White Town, Pondicherry 605001
Best Time To Visit: The Best Time To Visit: this war memorial is in the morning. You can enjoy the nature as well as spend some pleasant time in this place.
Timings: The French Soldiers memorial is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Distance from Pondicherry Bus stand to French Memorial: The distance from Pondicherry bus stand to French memorial is 3.5 km which take 2-3 minutes to travel.
Pondicherry Museum
About the Place: If you are interested in historical monuments and museums, this is the place for you. This museum which is located in Bharathi Park tops the list of Pondicherry tourist places. You can find a collection of old sculptures, handicrafts and archaeological findings from Arikamedu settlement in this museum. The museum also consists of items from the French colonial times such as coins. Art from Chola and Pallava temples is also seen in the sculpture gallery. You can purchase food from the available shops there. The visitors can avail washroom facility too. If you want to capture the beauty of the monument, you can easily do it, as the cameras are allowed here.
Location: It is situated at St. Louis Street, near White Town, Pondicherry.
Best Time To Visit: The museum remains open for all the days except Mondays and Public holidays. It is advisable to visit the place during daytime. So, don’t miss an opportunity to visit Pondicherry museum, one of the favorite tourist attractions in Pondicherry.
Entry Fee: Entry fee for this historical museum is just Rupee 15.
Timings: The museum remains open on all the days except Monday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Distance From Pondicherry Bus Stand: Pondicherry museum is located at a distance of just 3 KM from bus stand. Isn’t it convenient?
Promenade Beach
A stretch starting from War memorial and ending at Duplex park, Promenade Beach is a 1.2 -kilometer long stretch. It has some other best Pondicherry tourist places near it including Old lighthouse, The War Memorial, Heritage Town Hall etc.
The beach is a crowded spot of Pondicherry where travelers enjoy sports and hang out with their loved ones. You can also enjoy the mouth-watering street food of the food stalls present at the corners of the beach. Not only this, if you love handicraft materials, then the beachside shops offer beautifully knitted handicrafts too.
This is the most preferred Location: by nature lovers and wanderers for sightseeing in Pondicherry.
Location: It is located at Beach Road, Pondicherry starting from War memorial and ending at Dupleix Park.
Best Time To Visit: With its busy street and breathtaking sunset view, the beach is most likely to be visited most in the evening time.
Timings: The beach can be visited any day of the week from 5 am to 8 pm.
Distance from Pondicherry Bus Stand: The Promenade beach is at the distance of 2.5 km via South Boulevard from the bus stand. This will take approximately 9 minutes to reach the bus stand from the beach.