Pondicherry

Understand

Pondicherry, though small in geographical size, was the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). If you have spent some time in Tamil Nadu and approached Pondicherry by land, you will very likely experience mild culture shock on discovering French architecture and restaurants serving steak and good wine. Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality: crossing the central canal from the east to the west reveals two different cities with very different characters.

Getting there

By car 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. Most tourists, however, cannot resist the seashore kissing the ECR and take a number of stops en route. This route passes through Mamallapuram, Kalpakkam, Pudupattinam, Idaikkazhinadu (Alamparai or Alambara Fort), Mudaliarkuppam, which has a boat house, Marakkanam (contains large areas under salt pans), and Kanagachettikulam/Kalapet. Another road from Chennai to Pondy is National Highway 45 (NH45), also called the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road. This route passes through Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Madhurantakam, Melmaruvathur and Tindivanam. The ECR Road and NH45 are tolled roads. The journey from Chennai to Pondicherry takes about the same amount of time on each road. Pondicherry is about 320 km away from Bangalore. Drive down National Highway 7 (NH-7) till Krishnagiri, take a left off the main highway (road signs mark the route) and then take National Highway 66 (NH-66) to Pondicherry. This route passes through Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam. You can reach Pondicherry either through Tindivanam (via Gingee) or Villupuram (via Thirukovilur). Gingee Fort is also on the way to Tindivanam and worth spending some time at. It's an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Heritage site. The total travel time should be about 5-6 hours. Pack some food or snacks for the way as there are no good restaurants en route. Pondicherry is well connected to Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, etc. to the South by National Highway 45A (NH-45A). The road is well maintained till Chidambaram. Pondicherry connects to the GST or NH-45 in two places: at Villupuram by NH-45A and at

Getting around

By two-wheeler Pondicherry has narrow streets reminiscent of western Europe. It is highly advisable that you do not attempt to drive around in a car, and instead purchase or hire a two-wheeled vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle. It can however be difficult to ride smoothly in Pondicherry due to the significant number of pedestrians on smaller streets, while roads would likely be used by cars and trucks. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in the city. There are several rental outlets on Mission St and MG Rd. The prices as of January 2016 are ₹300/day for a gearless scooter (light motorcycle) and ₹500/day for a geared motorcycle and ₹40-50/day for a bicycle. You will need to provide some identification documents as collateral and an advance of ₹500 only in a few rental service shops while the rest of them provide without documents or advance. Make sure you check the cycle thoroughly before taking it on rent. Many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. Usually, the number of days for these vehicles is calculated 9AM-9PM. The motorbikes are easily available in a couple of two-wheeler rental shops on Mission Street.

By bus or shared auto-rickshaw The Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has daily bus services for tourists and it covers all the important tourist spots to be seen in Pondicherry. It is the best and most economical way to tour Pondicherry. There is a sparse network of buses and shared auto-rickshaws that can be ridden for ₹5-20 per ride depending on the distance. Shared-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. The services in informal and unorganized so it is impossible to centralise the timetables.

See

1 Bharathi Park. There's a white monument at the centre of the park called Aayi Mandapam. It was built during the time of Napoleon III. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city during his reign. It was named after a lady courtesan named Āyi. She destroyed her own house to erect a water reservoir to supply water to the city. (updated Jun 2023) Chunnambar Boat House (10 km (6.2 mi) south of the centre). You can take a motorboat to Paradise Beach from here. It is crowded on holidays and weekends. (updated Sep 2025) 2 Ousteri Lake (Oussudu Lake). The largest lake of Pondicherry and home to around 200 species of birds. About 40 species of migratory birds visit the sanctuary after November annually, including golden oriole, open-bill stork, tailor bird, painted stork, white ibis, white-breasted water-hen and spotted owlets. The lake also has boats run by PTDC. (updated Sep 2025) 3 Pondicherry Botanical Garden, ☏ +91 413 233 9497. A nice park, though a little in disarray. An aquarium, maintained by the Directorate of Fisheries, is also a must-see while in the garden. Free. (updated Sep 2025) 4 Pondicherry Lighthouse. 3–5PM. A lighthouse was constructed in Pondicherry in the nineteenth century by the French rulers. A new lighthouse was constructed in the 20th century by the Government of India. (updated Sep 2025) Portuguese Governor's Mansion. (updated Jun 2023)

Memorials and museums

5 French War Memorial, Goubert Ave (opposite Gandhi Statue). A war memorial dedicated to the French Indians who died for the country during the First World War. A bronze plaque lists the names of soldiers who died during the First World War. Further plaques were added, listing the names of soldiers who died during World War II, the French War in Indochina and the Algerian War. The monument remains the property of France. (updated Jun 2023) 6 Gandhi Statue, Beach Rd. 7 Pondicherry Museum. An art and history museum with its collection of fine lost wax bronzes f

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. You can also go fishing in a Catama