Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Visiting Puducherry, India
New Delhi-based subscriber Richard Barlow and his family visited Puducherry (Pondicherry) in southern India
The highlights: Puducherry (formerly known as Pondicherry) is a seaside city combining French and Indian influences – it was a French colonial territory until the 1950s, as evidenced by the pillars, balconies and pastel colours of the White Town area. Its seafront is broad, traffic-free and ideal for strolling and people-watching. Puducherry is also home to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, occupying over 150 buildings, all painted sea-grey with white borders.
Must see: Auroville (aka the ‘City of Dawn’) is a Unesco-commended experimental township a 20-minute drive north of Puducherry. Over 50 nationalities live together, each contributing to the community and promoting their crafts and produce. Auroville’s spiritual heart is the gold, spherical Matrimandir temple; you can enjoy the tranquillity of its grounds, but the temple itself is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Top tip: The Aura Store on Goubert Avenue offers yoga classes every evening. Proceeds from the store go to supporting the Ashram.the fish curry at Le Chateau rooftop restaurant is the best I have eaten in south India – the flavours linger in the mouth long afterwards.
Cautionary tale: Though Puducherry sits by the Indian Ocean, it is not a beach destination: the shore is lined with boulders and swimming is not allowed. For the chance of a dip visit nearby Serenity Beach or Le Pondy beach resort.
I wish I’d known: That self-drive car hire is not a common option.we booked and pre-paid for a vehicle from a well-known car hire company, but no vehicle materialised on arrival at Chennai airport. Fortunately taxis for the three-hour journey to Puducherry are ubiquitous (£40).
Anything else: The drive between Chennai and Puducherry has a number of worthwhile stopping points, including the Unesco-listed temple complex on the Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) coast and the Madras Crocodile Banktrust reserve just south of Chennai; this houses hundred of the reptiles, is well laid out and has been the recipient of UK Government Darwin Initiative funding.