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From Tiruvannamalai we drove to Pondicherry (Puducherry) which is exactly 100 kms away. One has to pass through Tindivanam on the Chennai - Trichy highway to reach there. Pondicherry is situated on the Coromandel Coast and is exactly 160 kms south of Chennai and the drive from Chennai would be via the scenic and famed East Coast Road (ECR). The French ruled this territory for 300 years, and today, it stands as a living monument of the French culture in India.

We stayed at the Hotel Surguru on Sardar Patel Road. Its a budget class decent 'family' hotel. Accommodations are aplenty in Pondy ranging from 300 bucks to 26k per night! The Surguru costs 1300 bucks for a double room with an AC and its really spic and span! Equivalent to any star hotel! There is a vegetarian restaurant at the basement which serves wonderful vegetarian fare. Room service is lightning quick and the people are friendly. You'll never regret staying here!

Pondicherry traces its origin to Saint Agasthya, the revered sage of the south. The excavations near Pondicherry reveal, that a Roman settlement existed here, 2000 years ago. It was also the site of many a battle between the British and the French, and was the capital of French India, before it attained its independence.

This restored, attractive, former French colony exudes a Mediterranean aura with its chic streets, elegant houses and ornamental gardens. Being a small and quiet enclave of Tamil Nadu, it has imbibed the Tamilian culture also. French is still widely spoken, and the seaside villas and the cobbled streets are more reminiscent of the south of France than the south of India!! The street names here are still in French and you'd be surprised to see names like: Rue Romain Rolland, Rue Labourdonnais, Rue de la Caserne etc. There is an arbitrary division known as the French quarters which is closer to the beach and the Tamil quarters which is further away. And no prizes for guessing which one looks more attractive!

Apart from the charming atmosphere, excellent restaurants and cheap beer, Pondicherry attracts thousands of travelers each year, mostly the French. The places of interest in and around Pondicherry are as follows:

Auroville:
This started off as a Universal Town where peeps from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs can live in peace and harmony and today over 2000 folks from different countries around the globe live there in total harmony in an attempt to realize a new society as envisioned by Pondicherry's famous citizen, Sri Aurobindo – a revolutionist and a poet, and the Mother – a Paris born painter musician who became a disciple of Sri Aurobindo. There is the Matri Mandir (meditation hall) with the world's biggest man-made crystal ball inside Auroville and is open to visitors. You can get a pass on the venue. More than sight seeing this place offers a different experience.

Chunnambar Water Sports Centre:
This has boating facilities and a very scenic backwater eco system.

Ousteri Lake:
It was supposed to be a major drinking water supply and now it is open for boat rides and bird watching. Many species of migratory birds come here.

Beaches:
Perfect places to spend time on the sand and watch the sun go down on the Bay of Bengal would be the Auro beach and the Plage Paradio (Chunnambar Beach). The 1.5 km long promenade running along the beach is the pride of Pondicherry. On the sea front are several landmarks – the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Jeanne d’Arc and Dupleix, the elegant War Memorial raised by the French, the heritage building ‘Marie’ and the 27metre tall old lighthouse.

Heritage Walk:
It is beautiful to take a walk around the boulevard which showcaes three different architectural styles. The White town or the French square, the Tamil square and the Muslim square.

Arikamedu:
This has a long history dating back to the 2nd century BC where the Romans and Greeks traded here. Wine and olive oil were imported and textile, beads, semiprecious tones, shell bangles were exported! The exacavated remains, artefacts, are kept in the Pondicherry Museum.

Shopping:
Pondicherry is famous for its creative and beautiful souvenirs. Terracotta, handmade papers, paper lampshades, wooden handicrafts, aromatics, leather products and garments are unique here. Anglo French Textiles (AFT) established in the late 18th century offers quality cotton fabrics. They have a factory outlet too. The junction of MG Road and Nehru Street is very famous for its Sunday market where things can be bought cheap. Garments, second hand books, toys, house holds, CDs, DVDs are sold here for a pittance. This is a temporary market available only on Sundays.


Festivals:
Festivals of Pondicherry differ from the rest of India, for the French influence still persists prominently here. Masquerade, held in March - April, is a popular mask festival, during which brilliantly costumed and masked people of Pondicherry, dance down the streets to the music of trumpets and accordions. During the Eve of the Bastille Day, (July 14) retired soldiers parade the streets in war finery, singing the French and Indian National Anthem.


Here are some pics...these do not necessarily include pics of the above mentioned places. Description of the pics is right below them.