Statues of Francois Dupleix

Statues of Francois Dupleix

Statues of Francois Dupleix, the Governor, were commissioned in Pondicherry and in France in honour of his able administration. Originally, the2.88 meters tall structure was erected over six exquisitely carved granite pillars. The statue of Joan of Arc, a typically French marble statue commemorates the heroic spirit of French damsel, Jeanne d’ Arc. It is set in triumphant posture as well as laid out garden in front of the L’Eglise de Notre dame des anges, the famous church of Pondicherry.

Subramanya Bharathi house

Subramanya Bharathi

Tamil poet-patriot, Subramanya Bharathi came to the French ruled Pondicherry and found it to be peaceful. He penned down some of his finest patriotic poems and romantic compositions. His residence is converted to a museum and is literally a pilgrimage for the Tamilians. He too has struggled for the freedom of India through creating enlightenment among people as to know what is going on.

Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion

Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion

The magnificent mansion, Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion, the famous Dubash (Indian representative of a European ruler) of the French Governor Francois Dupleix is one of the oldest surviving buildings of the west side - then known as Ville Noire or the Black Town. The mansion was built around 1738 and is a unique combination of French and Indian architectural styles. Pillai’s diaries are preserved here and provide good information of the 18th century French India.

Elegant French War Memorial

The elegant French War Memorial on the famous Goubert Avenue was erected in honour of the soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. The war memorial is beautifully illuminated during the annual commemoration held on Bastille Day, the 14th of July. Its sounds really great when a tourist hear that people are remembered for their services. The soldiers have fought for the safety of their place and people. We must respect and honour those who really strove hard for the safety of the place and the people.

Monuments and Buildings in Pondicherry

A place looks beautiful and neat only if there are good buildings with special artifacts. Some of the monuments, memorials and museums in Pondicherry are briefed below.
They are Aayimandapam, French War Memorial, Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion, Bharathi Memorial Museum, Bharathidasan Museum, the Statue of Dupleix, The Statue of Joan of arc, 19th Century Lighthouse, Place Du Gouvernment, Jawahar Toy Museum, Pondicherry Museum and Library and Arikamedu.

Aayimandapam

The magnificent Aayimandapam is a white monument and is elegantly set at the lush Government Park in the heart of the city. It was built in the 16th century in Greco-Roman architectural style during the reign of Napoleon III the emperor of France and this is the most recognizable monument of Pondicherry. It commemorates the 16th century courtesan named Aayi. This is a historical place. The Greeks are known for their minute architecture. They have put a lot of effort in the growth of the place. This is a great honour to Aayi.

Pondicherry pet Elephant

church pondicherry

Hindu Mounds on the Beach on Pondicherry

Pondicherry Image

Pondicherry Beach

Tourist Spots in Pondicherry

When people visit a new place they closely watch the place, its nature and beauty, the buildings, the people’s cultural and traditional set up, their food, clothing and their mannerisms. They watch out places where they could relax a bit so that they could be tension free and spend the time happily for a while. Nature gives wisdom, joy, pleasure, relaxation and it teaches many things essential in life. Some places may be breezy and cool all the time. Some places may be colourful. People have different tastes and likings. But for sure the spots in Pondicherry will really be entertaining and time to be leisurely.

Beaches and Backwaters

People both young and old have a liking in something or the other. Even when at home when there is rain we find kids playing in the water. They make paper boats and enjoy their time. Likewise people love the time they spend in the sea shores and beaches. Some of the beaches to be visited in this territory are the Serenity Beach, the Paradise Beach, Karaikal Beach, Mahe Beach and Yanam River Cruise. Let’s get to know about the specialties of these beaches in detail.

The Serenity Beach is 1.5 kilometers long. It’s a beautiful site to watch as it is cool and clean. This beach is ideally suited for relaxation, swimming and sun-bath. The pleasant breeze from the Bay of Bengal makes us to have a stroll or jog or sit in the parapet by the sea. The beach has a history behind it as this witnessed the bloodiest of the battles between the French and the British. The sea front is graced by an impressive statue of the Mahatma (M.K.Gandhi) set amidst eight exquisitely carved pillars and wonderful war memorial commemorating the soldiers who lost their lives during the World War I. The Lighthouse and the 284 meters long New Pier are located further south.

The next is the Paradise Beach. This is called Plage Paradiso. This is located at Chunnambar near the mouth of the backwater. This is located about 8 kilometers away form Pondicherry towards Cuddalore Main Road. It is a perfect place for leisurely holiday and beach sport. The visitors can sail to the backwaters to the sands and pitch up a cozy sea side tent. One can see playing dolphins if cruised into the sea.

The next is the Karaikal Beach. This beach is an excellent place for watching the rising sun. The tourists can see the view of the slowly flowing Arasalar River meeting the sea which is simply breathtaking. The boating club on the beautiful backwaters of the Arasalar provides pedaller, motor and rowing boats to the tourists. The beautiful Mahe beach is a beach resort which is 22 kilometers south of Kannur in Kerala and is bordered by lush palm trees. There are numerous fishing hamlets. The Yanam river cruise is located in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Its beauty is enhanced by the spectacular Goringa Godavari River which meanders through rich mangrove forests.

Hotels- Three Star Hotels

Abirami Residency
Address:	No 92, Anna Salai, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605001
Phone Number:	0413 - 2229881, 2229882,

Anandha Inn Hotel
Address:	No 154, S V Patel Road, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605001
Phone Number:	0413 - 2330711, 2233000,

Annamalai International Hotel
Address:	No 479, Kamaraj Salai, Near Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Saram, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605013
Phone Number:	0413 - 2247001, 2247002,

Ashok Hotel
Address:	Chinna Kalapet, E C R Road, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605014
Phone Number:	0413 - 2655160, 2655161,

Ginger Hotel
Address:	Saram Revenue Village, Karuvadikuppam Main Road, Muthialpet, Puducherry, Pondicherry
Phone Number:	0413 - 6663333

Mass Hotel
Address:	No 152, Maraimalai Adigal Salai, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605001
Phone Number:	0413 - 4207001, 4207002,

Soorya Heritage Inn Hotel
Address:	No 499, M G Road, Muthialpet, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605003
Phone Number:	0413 - 2225193

Sunway Hotel
Address:	No 155-D, Near RTO Office, Mudaliarpet, Puducherry, Pondicherry - 605004
Phone Number:	0413 - 2281608

Sri Aurobindo Ghose

This great person has made an impact both for himself as well as those who follow his preaching. Born in Kolkata in the year 15th August, 1872, Aurobindo spent his early life for a while in England and was given qualitative higher studies and got his graduation from the King’s College, Cambridge. The field in which he got specialized with was Classical Tripos. He also cleared the prestigious Civil Service Exam and returned to India in 1893. He worked for the Princely State of Baroda and was also a professor in Baroda College during this time for nearly 13 years. He fought for the independence of the country and then in 1910, moved to the French Pondicherry and led a spiritual life. He practiced Yoga and Modern Science. He founded and established Sri Aurobindo Ashram with the help of the Mother, who is his disciple and spiritual collaborator. He was a prolific writer. He wrote The Life Divine, and The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri.

Ashram is Pondicherry

When a tourist visits Pondicherry he would surely never miss the opportunity of visiting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. This world renowned ashram was founded in the year 1926, by Sri Aurobindo, a revolutionary turned Yogi from Bengal along with The Mother (Mira Alfassa) a French painter as well as a sculptor. It is indeed the best known landmark of Pondicherry and the ashram attracts people from all over the world. Here one experiences the serenity, the great peace and all the wisdom practiced by ancient saints and sages of India. The main ashram building is situated at the marine street just behind the Raj Nivas which is surrounded by several buildings involved with educational and cultural activities of the Aurobindo Society. The central courtyard of the main ashram building has the flower festooned memorials of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo under the frangipani tree.

One can find peace prevailing in this memorial place. People come and meditate in this ashram. The Mother’s love for flowers is very well exhibited as the lush gardens expose this situation so as to fulfill her liking. The building on the eastern sea front of the city served as the residence of the Master and the Mother. Sri Aurobindo elaborated a system of Internal Yoga in order to practice Yoga and Modern Science. This unusual exercise of spirituality is intended to make life more beautiful, not by neglecting the world but by living as a part of it. The dwellers in this Ashram have formed a spiritual community that gives them an aura of sublime peace and calmness prevailing through Pondicherry. Now the ashram consists of 2000dwellers including 400 students of the centre of education. They work towards attaining the life-affirming aim of the Master. The Ashram in the present is like a mini township. It is an awesome estate of 120 buildings. These buildings serve as educational institutes and as industries. It takes care of the needs of the inmates of the ashram and various departments look after the basic requirements of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as medical care.

One can find farms, gardens, a printing press, some small scale industries, libraries and facilities for recreation as well as cultural activities. An important part of the ashram is the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. The system practiced here is entirely different. The belief is that every child is unique in its thinking and the centre of education tries to help them grow and nurture them in their individual way and leave the choice to the children. They don’t mingle them together into the frame of one particular syllabus.

According to Sri Aurobindo – the first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught. The teacher is not an instructor or a task master rather he is a guide or a helper to him. The teacher need not teach what knowledge is to the child but shows him the way to go about developing knowledge with their talent. The children have the free will to choose the subjects of their liking and the guides as well. They can concentrate on the subject they have chosen and neglect the other subjects. This is an entirely different setup that is practiced successfully in this centre for education. The system is integral in its approach and it provides a scope for simultaneous developments of the child physically, vitally, mentally and in psychic aspects as well.

Some other attractions for the visitors include Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory which is run by the Ashram. This is an internationally renowned factory which produces quality handmade paper. Apart from paper there are a wide range of exquisite products produced here. The collections of the works written by Sri Aurobindo are sold at the Ashram Book Shop located in the premises of the Ashram. Visitors to the Ashram have the facility to stay in the guest houses which are cheap and excellent. This Ashram has influenced several other yoga learning centres. The most important among these yoga learning centres is the famous International Centre for Yoga Education and Research which is also known as the Ananda Ashram.

Pondicherry Its uniqueness

his unique union territory, Pondicherry comprises of four scattered coastal enclaves-
1.Pondicherry now called as Puducheri,
2. Karaikal which is in Tamilnadu,
3.Yanam in Andhra Pradesh and
4.Mahe in Kerala which lies on the west coast.
These places have preserved the French heritage and its cultural aspects which are unique in India. Pondicherry is a combination of cultures. The people here speak about 55 languages. The natural beauty mesmerizes and influences the visitors. People who love to go for shopping can select Pondicherry as goods in this town can be bought for cheaper prices and the shoppers can bargain and pay the minimal charges for goods to their satisfaction. The golden sea shores, the exclusive sunset cruises, the enchanting moonlit dinners and the blissful lagoons have given the lovely resort a reputation of being the most appropriate place for those in quest of a relaxed and leisurely holiday. Bicycle is the best mode of transport for moving around and visiting the beauty of Pondicherry.

Pondcherry

The capital city of this union territory is Pondicherry. It covers a total land area of 492 Square Kilometers. The population of this town is 9,73,829. The main languages spoken here are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French. There are four districts which comprise this territory namely Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. The best season to visit Pondicherry is between July and February. This town is connected by airways, by railways, and by roadways. Pondicherry is a peaceful city. Pondicherry is referred by names such as ‘Quintessence of French Culture’, ‘India’s Little France’ and ‘The French Riviera of the East’. This territory was under the French rule for nearly 281 years. Still it has the French flavor in it as one can see by the grand colonial mansions, beautiful boulevards, and placid promenades, spellings on sign boards and buildings, names of roads and public places.

Pondicherry is a well planned and well built town. This is a typical example as one can learn the way the French people gave importance to order and flair. They are known for their rich and quality living. The French too had an eye on the wealth and the fertility of India. Thus the French dream of Indian empire began and got over by establishing their supremacy in Pondicherry. The French constructed many buildings based on their craft and grand architecture. They developed an oval shaped, lovely ‘boulevard town’ – the French quarter. This French quarter was laid out in a geometric grid pattern with straight roads intersecting at right angles. A boulevard encircled the town and a grand canal, divided it into two sections- one the Tamil side called as Ville Noire or the black town and the other, a European side which was known as Ville Blanche or the white town. The impressive Ville Blanche or white town resembles a typical Medieval French township clotted with fine built monuments, government buildings, majestic mansions, elegant churches and lush green parks.