There are more than 350 temples in and around Pondicherry, 75 of them dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The Varadaraja Temple and Villenour's Thyirukameswarar Temple, both date back to the 12th century. The Car Festival of Thirukameswarar Temple attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

The Beach: The beach at Pondicherry is a wonderful place to walk and relax. The city ends at the beach with the waves crashing against the rocks. There is one-and-a-half km promenade that offers a delightful view of the beach and quaint buildings facing the sea. On the beach front stands a statue of Mahatma Gandhi surrounded by eight, exquisitely carved monolithic pillars and a War Memorial raised by the French in honour of those who died in World War I. On the opposite side are buildings of French architecture that house restaurants and shops selling intriguing wares like paper lampshades, earthenware, pot pouri and aromatic incense sticks made in Auroville.

The Aurobindo Ashram: The Aurobindo Ashram exudes an aura of peace and harmony. It is a quiet place to reflect and meditate. The Ashram was built with the object of creating an evolution of a higher spiritual consciousness. It has more than 1,500 spiritual seekers from every part of the world today.

Pondicherry Museum: Occupying the premises of what was formerly the Government Library is the Pondicherry Museum, which is a treasure house of antiques. Besides a section on French India with rooms done in typical French style, the museum devotes sections to archaeology, geology, sculpture, bronzes, arms, print, handicraft and art.

Botanical Gardens: The gardens were planned by C.S. Perrotet and laid out in 1826. The gardens preserve a large variety of exotic species of plants.

Beach Road: The 1.5 km long section is the best entertainment centre of the city. The uncluttered beach is good for bathing throughout the year. It is often possible to spot dolphins gamboling in the sea close to the beach. Various dining and beach-sport entertainment are available.

Fairs & Festivals
International Yoga Festival (January): Amidst an international gathering, yogic art is displayed through practice sessions, seminars, shows, etc.

Maasi Magam (March): The festival, now over a century old, is celebrated just north of the fishing village of Kurichikuppam. Deities from about 38 temples are brought in a procession to Pondicherry and taken around the town to the loud accompaniment of Nadaswaram (horns). Then, the images of chakra (the discuss of Lord Vishnu) and trisul (the trident symbol of Lord Shiva) are chosen for ablutions in the sea.
Mangani (July): Celebrated specially at Karaikal, the month-long festivities are dedicated to Karaikal Ammaiyar and for four days important events from her life are enacted. The image of Lord Shiva in a decorated palanquin is taken out in a procession through the streets of the town at which the townsfolk throw mangoes from rooftops, much to the delight of the crowd gathered below.
Bastille Day (14 July): It is marked by an Indo-French pageantry. Uniformed war veterans march through the streets singing Marseillaise.
Fete de Pondicherry (15-17 August): A cultural pageant, coinciding with the Liberation Day and the Independence Day. The Park Monument is brilliantly decorated with lights.

Eating Out

Being a coastal city with a big fishing community, seafood is special to the region. Also, in consonance with the rest of South India, rice is staple in every cuisine. The French heritage is also reflected in a large number of restaurants offering a selection of that cuisine in the regular fare.

There are many good restaurants, especially on the Beach Road, serving quality Chinese, Vietnamese, south and north Indian, Chettinad and French cuisine. Another dining out option is the many food stalls that come up in the evening along the Beach Road. These serve a variety of fare, mostly of fast-food type, ranging from seafood to snacks to Chinese.

How to Reach There ?

By Air :  The nearest airport is at Chennai and Tiruchirapalli.

By Rail : Though Pondicherry is a railway terminal on the Southern Railway, it is only connected by a meter-gauge line.The railway station is located only one km from downtown. Taxis and auto-rickshaws are available (negotiable rates) for transfer to different points in the territory.

By Road Pondicherry is linked by an excellent network of roads with all major centres in the region. The East Coast Highway from Chennai provides one of the best access options to the city. The 163 km journey on the wide and smooth two-lane highway can be a driving pleasure as the road runs close to the coast for most of the distance. Beyond the initial about 20 km, where the highway runs through Chennai’s suburban localities and, consequently, some heavy local traffic, one is able to maintain good progress. However, this stretch contains most of the amusement centres, like VGP, MGM, Crocodile Park, etc.
The next important stretch is till the beach resort town of Mamallapuram (60 km from Chennai), which the highway skirts by about 3 km. Excellent beachside hotels, including Taj’s Covelong Beach Resort are dotted along the road. Good rest and recreation facilities are available throughout the route till Pondicherry. East Coast Highway is a toll road.
Road distances to some other important cities are: Chidambaram 68 km, Mamallapuram 105 km, Thanjavur 198 km and Bangalore 303 km.
Chennai is also the major gateway for bus services to Pondicherry, with buses operating between the two centres at almost five minutes interval. Equally frequent services are available to Villupuram.
There are two major bus stations in Pondicherry, State Express Bus Stand, of Express Transport Service of Tamil Nadu, and General Bus Stand, both located close to each other and downtown.

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