Pondicherry is a union teritory which lies within the state of Tamil Nadu.The inherent ambience of Pondicherry becomes most evident in the oldest part of the town which flanks the seashore boulevard.Quiet beaches and peaceful resorts to the north and south balance the towns bustling, yet easy going life. But Pondy hasn't only its own special attractions to offer. Colonial buildings which trace back to the 18th century, line along a grid of straight clean streets and house the French institutions, private homes and businesses, and the sprawling premises of the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The visitor is greeted by mellow colours of cream, yellow, pink and grey with flamboyant bougainvillae bursting over gates and compound walls of cool courtyards. It is a perfect base to explore the rich destinations around it, even in daily trips: Auroville, the international City of Unity; the imposing Gingee Fort, the holy temple towns of Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Chidambaram, the heritage sculptures and magnificent rock temples of Mamallapuram, and the cool and lush hillstations of Yercaud and Kodaikanal.
Plage Paradiso (Paradise Beach) : At Chunnambar, 8 kms from the town, along Cuddalore Main Road, lies this stretch of tropical paradise. Flanked h a quiet-flowing creek on one side. In fact, you can sail downstream to the sands and pitch up a cozy seaside tent for yourself. Overnighting within the tree-houses on the backwater banks provides a relishing experience of the great outdoors.
Aurobindo Ashram : The main building comprises the houses of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa, a French woman who accepted Aurobindo as her spiritual mentor and guide and later became his most important disciple). In the courtyard are the samadhis of Aurobindo and The Mother where their mortal remains have been enshrined. Visitors are allowed to visit the samadhi between 8am and 6pm everyday. The other places of interest in the Ashram complex are the International Education Centre, guest houses, libraries and the cottage industries.
Karaikal Beach : Sunrise-watchers can catch their magnificent view over the bay, with the pretty Arasalar river reaching out to the sea. Alternatively, you can canoe or kayak in picture-book surroundings. Have a round of beach volley ball. Or, armed with the angling gear, you can reel in a surprise.
Government Park : The Government Park is the centre of old colonial part of the town and provides a cool and lush green anchor around which most government buildings are situated: the Lt. Governor's Palace, the Legislative Assembly, Government Hospital, but also the Ashram Dining Room in a beautiful Villa, the Cercle de Pondichery, which is a private club, and old Hotel Qualite.
Jimper : This is one of the foremost medical institutions in the country. JIPMER, which is Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research, was established 20 years ago and is one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind in the country.
Botanical Gardens : Just off West Boulevard, the gardens planned by C.S. Perrotet in 1826, have a good collection of exotic flowering plants from India and abroad. There is also an aquarium here which has some rare species of ornamental fish.
Pondocherry Museum : Opened in 1984, this museum has on display some fine antiques apart from sections devoted to archaeology, geology, sculpture, handicrafts, objects of art, printing and armaments. Among the exhibits on display are the bed used by Dupleix, a palanquin and a pousse-pousse which resembles a rickshaw.
Auroville (10kms) : This city of dawn was designed by the French architect Roger Arger and was started as an experimental commune where people of all nationalities irrespective of caste, creed or religion would live together in harmony. About 550 people from different countries live in the 40 settlements of Auroville. It is advisable to hire bicycles to look around as the village is too large to wander through on foot. Surrounded by lakes and gardens, the sphere shaped Matri Information Centre at Promesse the first stop is Here, a 25 hectare farm and orchard where organic agriculture has been practised successfully.
French Institute : Situated on Dumas street, this internationally acclaimed institute was established by the renowned French Indologist Dr. J. Fillozet in 1995. The institute has separate sections on science, technology, ecology, cartography, pedagogy, Indian languages and culture. The Romain Rolland Library has a collection of over 60,000 books, some of which are rare French volumes. The institute conducts research in arts and sciences and is perhaps the only permanent link with France in Pondicherry.
Apart from the spectacular panoramic rhapsodies, the union territory is also a shopper's paradise. Shopping in Pondicherry is a sheer pleasure not only for the shopaholics,but even the pragmatic pennypinchers enjoy picking up assorted merchandise in the duty free union territory. The subsidized sales tax and the wide availability of a diverse variety of wares attracts multitude of tourists like a bee is to honey. The quintessential Khadi textile as well a host of other fabrics like twill, satin, corduroy, chambray, poplin, oxford and cambric are all a hallmark of the Pondicherry textile that are sold at unbelievable prices. The Anglo-French mills are legendary for churning out crinkle free printed cotton. Pottery is another talking point of Pondicherry shopping. Pondicherry town and Auroville are famed for the splendid ceramic works that evince the creative genius of the local craftsmen. The archetypal "Golden Bridge" and "Rhinestone Art" are excellent examples of contemporary Pondicherry art.
For the most authentic French dishes ever dished out in India, Pondicherry is the place. Satsanga (Labourdonnais Street), a converted backyard of a rambling French villa serves some sumptuous French and Italian fare. You can relax into a chair and read the morning newspaper over a superb breakfast here. Check out Hotel Aristo (Nehru Street) for that lip-smacking walnut chicken served with brown rice. Au Feude Bois is where to go if you are an Italian food connoisseur. The wood-fired oven puts out some soft and crunchy pizzas and fresh bread. But this is not all. For people who like typical south Indian cuisine, there are enough restaurants which serve it too. Blue Dragon (Dumas Street) and China Town (Suffren Street) serve out-of-this-world Chinese fare. Probably the most expensive restaurant in Pondicherry is Le Club which, quite obviously, serves French cuisine and wine and beer. For Indian snacks or breakfast, Indian Coffee House (Rue Nehru) is a good bet. Also, Appache (Rangapillai Street) is sought after for its Chettinad fare.
For soul searching and spirits recharging, enroll for a short Yoga course at the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (www.icyer.com) or at the Aurobindo Ashram. For an evening of music, dance or theatre, try AdiShakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts Research, run by theatre guru Veenapani Chawla. It puts up plays combining music, dance, craft and puppetry. It even holds workshops and lecdems. For hedonists, Pondicherry is dotted with cafes, bars and pubs. Liquor enthusiasts in fact worship Pondicherry as alcohol comes cheap and available at most restaurants and cafes. You could hop over to Seagulls (Dumas Street); it overlooks the sea, or the Moon Rock and Bar (Anna Salai). Even though spirits are cheap, there is very little by the way of nightlife. You can hear many people cribbing that even the last bar downs it shutters at the 'unearthly' hour of around half past ten. Nothing much for kids. There's a play area in Bharti Park with some swings, a cannon and a statute of a demon-like man. A better place would be the promenade. Kids love to sit on the low wall, hear their voices swept away by the breeze and munch on the finger-licking fare served by the hawkers as well as nearby restaurants.