Pondicherry City,City Guide of Pondicherry India,Pondicherry City Information Guide,Information Guide of Pondicherry India

About Pondicherry City Information Guide
Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

On the coast of Coromandel about 160 kms south of Chennai, lies the charming French-Tamil town of Pondicherry. Ruled by the French for over 300 years it has an incredible heritage of multiple cultures.

Information Guide of Pondicherry India At A Glance
The city has been laid out as a 17th-century fortified French town, and is divided into an oceanfront French Quarter, with gracious homes and bilingual signs, and densely populated Hindu, Muslim and Christian quarters. Small shops line the streets of the Indian neighborhoods. Many sidewalks are covered with sweating men baking flat bread for sale and women selling small piles of cocoanuts, limes and bananas, as well as yellow marigold and white jasmine petals for Hindu rites. French Catholic churches with Gothic arches stand several blocks from white-walled mosques and a few hundred yards from Hindu temples covered with brightly painted statues of many gods. Large colonial buildings in the main town with their collonaded porticoes and wooden slatted windows over which hangs the odd brilliant bougainvillea, line the avenues. Where else in the world can one find such a beautiful blend of cultures. On a patch of red dirt across the Beach Road from the ocean, aging men still play petang, throwing and rolling metal balls much as they do in southern France and at the Nizam's Restaurant; Asterix and Obelix painted on the shutters offer to home deliver really fast, in both Tamil as well as French. French perfumes, aromatic coffes, delectable french and creole cuisine, soothing spirituality, lush greenry , sun dappled palm fronds and miles of pristine beaches is just a bit of what Pondicherry is all about.

Attractions - City Guide Of Pondicherry India
The Aurobindo Ashram is a big draw for most visitors. Situated on Rue de la Marine, it houses the samadhis of the saint and philosopher Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, a French woman devotee. The ashram is popular for its doctrine based on a fusion of modern science and yoga. Another must visit is the the Ashram's handmade-paper factory on SV Patel Road.

Take a walk
The Pondicherry Museum

The best way to take in the sights is a leisurely walk around the town, begin at the southern end of Goubert Salai - and walk past most of Pondicherry's sights: the Place de la Republique has an impressive Gandhi statue, the Lighthouse, the French War Memorial, the statue of Joan of Arc, the Church of our Lady of the Angels and the Government Palace all come under one section of the town.

City Guide of Pondicherry India - Pondicherry Museum
The Pondicherry Museum with its interesting collection of Chola bronzes, beads and coins, ancient Pondicherrian vehicles including the pousse-pousse and colonial artifacts is quite absorbing.

Temples and churches - City Guide of Pondicherry India
The Sacred Heart Cathedral, on South Boulevard, and the Manakkula Vinayakar temple, behind the Raj Niwas are the most famous. There are about 350 temples in and around Pondicherry which were built by the cholas between the 10th and 12th centuries and many beautiful churches built by the Portugese and the French.

Botanical Garden
The botanical gardens have a wide variety of flora and a mammoth aquarium with exotic fish.

Auroville
Botanical Garden, Pondicherry Auroville just about 8 kms from the town of pondicherry is a small international community of peace loving individuals, a spiritual place it is also very famous for its handicrafts. For guided heritage tours, call Intach (2225991/ 7324). For city tours and information, contact Pondicherry Tourism (2339497/ 4575)

Cuisine
When in Pondicherry make the most of its French connection and enjoy the delightful cuisine on offer, team up freshly baked baguettes and crisp croissants with a steaming cup of coffee for breakfast, try the café-style restaurants for French and Continental food, there are also some good Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here and of course Tamilian cuisine which is authentic, superb and very cheap..

Accommodations of Pondicherry City Information Guide
Pondicherry has beautiful heritage hotels, the Hotel de L'Orient is the most elegant of them all. It as 14 beautiful rooms, friendly service and interesting food. Luxury for Rs 1,750-3,500. Villa Helena is also a restored colonial mansion. Comfortable and a notch less luxurious (no TV or phone in rooms), but very pretty, also one of the best places for good coffee and croissants, a room here will cost about Rs 1,800. Hotel de Pondicherry, offers similar styling for Rs 1,350-2,450. For simpler accommodation, Hotel Surguru is popular, with clean rooms and good vegetarian food (Rs 410-990), Anandha Inn (Rs 1,300-3,000). The best budget accommodation is undoubtedly at the Ashram-guest houses: contact the Ashram's Visitor's Information Center at 3 Rangapillai Street (daily 6am-8pm; 0413-2339648)

Climate - City Guide of Pondicherry India
Cuisine, Pondicherry The climate of Pondichery is influenced by its proximity to the sea, it has a warm-humid climate with a mean temperature of 28-30o C in the summer and winters. Monsoon is prevalent from October to March. Cotton clothing is apt all through the year. Visitors pour in throughout the year though October to March is the peak tourist season

Pondicherry City Information Guide - How to reach
The nearest airport is in Chennai, 160 kms away. Its train station connects it with some towns in Tamil Nadu, such as Villipuram. The drive down the lovely East Coast Road from Chennai (150 km/ three hours), is lined with palm fronds and is the best way to reach Pondicherry. Buses leave to and from Pondicherry (about Rs 40 one-way) virtually every 10 minutes.

Shopping
Pondicherry City is famous for its handmade paper products, pottery, candles, western clothing, jams and pickles. The leather bags at La Boutique d'Auroville or Kalki (both on Mission St) or Splendour (Beach Road) are not only gorgeous but also very reasonably priced.

Pondicherry City & Information Guide of Pondicherry India