Pondicherry
Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the capital and most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of India and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal to the east and the state of Tamil Nadu, with which it shares most of its culture, heritage, and language.
Getting to Pondicherry
Pondicherry is well connected from all sides. Chennai is 160 km north of the city. You can also hire a taxi from Chennai International Airport (MAA IATA). It costs around ₹2,500 (Indian rupees), as of August 2018. The road from Chennai to Pondicherry (the East Coast Road, commonly called ECR) is a scenic highway and a normal journey would take about 3 hours.
Worth seeing
- 01Bharathi Park
There's a white monument at the centre of the park called Aayi Mandapam.
- 02Ousteri Lake
The largest lake of Pondicherry and home to around 200 species of birds.
- 03Pondicherry Botanical Garden
A nice park, though a little in disarray.
- 04Pondicherry Lighthouse
A lighthouse was constructed in Pondicherry in the nineteenth century by the French rulers.
- 05French War Memorial
A war memorial dedicated to the French Indians who died for the country during the First World War.
- 06Gandhi Statue
Beach Rd.
Things to do
There is not much one is expected to do at Pondicherry. You would understand this better once you get there and understand the pace of life. You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, or go to Bharatanatyam performances that are often organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange in the local temples, or at major hotels.
- 01Eden Beach
- 02Promenade Beach
A 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, which starts from War Memorial and ends at Dupleix Park on Goubert Avenue.
- 03Uppalam Harbour Beach
Temple Adventures, 9, Archbishop Gandhi Street, Colas Nagar, 1st Road Opposite Indira Gandhi Stadium, dive@templeadventures.com.
- 04Indira Gandhi Sports Stadium
Where to eat
Pondicherry is known for its wide variety of cuisines ranging from South Indian delicacies like idly and dosa to seafood like fried fish, prawn bajji and parota. French influence can be seen to some extent in the local food. The best options are still the local delicacies; the excellent seafood. Good French food is available at restaurants around the French part of town. Anjappar, Near Jeeva Theater Signal.
Getting around Pondicherry the local way
- Get inAuto-rickshaws are available from outside the bus station.
- Get inYou can also take a 30-minute auto rickshaw from the airport to the centre of town.
- Get inThe rate for taking an auto rickshaw from within the airport complex to the city centre is about ₹150, as of Apr 2013.
- Get aroundThere is a sparse network of buses and shared auto-rickshaws that can be ridden for ₹5-20 per ride depending on the distance.
- Get aroundShared-auto-rickshaws can be found at the bus stand, along certain points on Bussy Road and Grand Canal - the most common route is from the bus stand, along Bussy Road, around Grand Canal, and then back up Bussy Road to the bus stand - but be sure to ask if the auto goes to your destination as not all autos will follow this route.
- Go nextA tuktuk should cost around ₹200 and a taxi ₹400 (2017).
From Wikivoyage: Pondicherry, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.
