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Situated on the Coromandel coast, Puducherry is famous because of its relation with Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose), the renowned spiritualist who selected this peaceful and harmonious place to make his abode in the 1920s century and remained there until his death in 1950. Auroville, a town visualised and built as an area where men and women of all countries could live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, politics and nationalities to realise human unity, just six km from central Puducherry, maintains its aim to this day. The city has a French Consulate. |
How to Get There:
By Air. Puducherry has a domestic airport connected to most major cities in India, using small aircraft like the Dornier. Plans are afoot to make it an international airport, in two stages, so that visitors do not have to drive down from Chennai or Bangalore, which are 175 and 296 km away, respectively.
By Rail. Pondicherry Railway Station is a vital cog Southern Railways network. It is connected to Viluppuram Chennai and Tambaram. The nearest major railhead is the Chennai Central Railway Station (162 km north.) Cuddalore Junction Railway Station, 21 km from Pondicherry, is a prominent link to the rest of India.
By Road. The bus station adjoins the Railway Station. Bus services connect Pondicherry
with Chennai, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Thanjavur, Chidambaram and Bangalore. Besides
State transport express buses, inter-State bus systems also offer services.
The other three districts face a similar plight. No air travel, except after a road journey, is possible. Railheads are distant except for Karaikal, which is linked with Chennai. Road is the preferred mode of travel and bus services in all four districts are good. Mahe is a tiny point on the map of Kerala, 647 kms away from Puducherry. Yanam is 870 km and Karaikal is the closest at 135 km.
Demographics:
Pondicherry still retains much evidence of its history as a French colony. French influence is also seen in the layout of the city. The French Quarter ('Ville Blanche' or 'White town') is partitioned from the Indian quarter ('Ville Noire' or 'Black Town'), reminiscent of its racial past. The official languages of Puducherry are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and French, the first three languages specific to the state each district is located in. When communicating between districts of different languages, English is used. The number of people speaking in each official languages are Tamil is 88 % and Other Languages (Including English, Telugu, Malayalam and French) is 12 %. Puducherry has a literacy rate of 76%.
Where to Stay:
Puducherry is perhaps the only district where you might like to stay for a couple of days or more. It has 10 hotels, 4 Guest Houses and 3 Resorts. The hotels are of two types, the old French romantic to modern glass and concrete buildings, with names to match. The other three districts have one hotel apiece.
What to See:
Puducherry offers a number of sightseeing destinations. These include the statues of Francois Dupleix, the famous French General and Governor of Pondicherry; Joan of Arc, Notre Dame des Anges and others. There is also a French War Memorial, in tribute to those who died for France during WW I. The Aayi Mandapam is a historic monument which lies
at the centre of the Bharati Park. Its beach is great fun during the right season, December to April. Its Churches include the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St Lourdes’ Church, Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception Immaculate and St Andrew's Church. Butterfly Garden and the Medicinal Plant Conservation Park are worth a visit. In the remaining districts, The Yanam River Cruise is nice; the Mahe Beach is home to several fishing villages. This palm-fringed coastal area is 22 km away from the southern part of Kannur while Karaikal Beach is well known for its awesome views of sunrise. This beach also provides a base for canoeing or kayaking.
Where and What to Eat:
Some of the favourite dishes in Pondicherry are: Coconut Curry, Tandoori Potato, Soya Dosa, Podanlangkai, Assad, Curried Vegetables, Stuffed Cabbage. French food is available in Rendezvous Cafe, Le Club, Coffee.Com, Satsanga, Carte Blanche, Hot Breads and Le Dupleix.
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