Pondicherry (or Puducherry), a French colonial settlement in India until 1954, is now a Union Territory town bounded by the southeastern Tamil Nadu state. Its French legacy is preserved in its French Quarter, with tree-lined streets, mustard-colored colonial villas and chic boutiques. A seaside promenade runs along the Bay of Bengal and passes several statues, including a 4m-high Gandhi Memorial.
Places to visit:
- Bharati Park
- Botanical Gardens
- Chunnambar Boat House
- Government Museum
- Mahatma Gandhi’s statue
- Oustery Lake
- Paradise Beach
- Puducherry New Light house
- The globe (matrimandir)
- Churches: Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes
- Temples: Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, The ancient Kalatheeswarer Temple (Chetty kovil), Sri Aurobindo Ashram.