If you are planning to visit pondicherry this winter or in 2023 here are the top 14 places you must include in your itinerary. These places are within the territory and you can easily cover all of them in 2 to 3 days of time. With a very enjoyable day trip, Pondicherry has a lot to offer to you even at the night.

Pondicherry is one of those destinations in India which has a separate fan base. This union territory has almost everything, from peaceful beaches to vibrant French Streets. It offers the peace of Shri Aurobindo Ashram to a peace lover and a high buzz of clubs to music enthusiasts. 

It does not matter whether you are a solo traveller or a family man or a cute couple, this place will never disappoint you. There are beautiful beaches where a family can spend hours of fun time, the French street for a couple to roam and spend some amorous time. Pondicherry is no less than a heaven for a solo tourist.

In fact, one does not have to wait to reach their accommodation to start the trip, it can easily be felt that the trip starts as soon as you enter its territory. Now you must be wondering where to go if there are so much amazing places in pondicherry. Worry not, here are the top 20 places to visit in pondicherry that can uplift your trip experience to the next level.

Places to visit in Pondicherry

1. Shri Aurobindo Ashram

Timings: 08:00-11:30, 14:00 – 18:00

After Sri Aurobindo resigned from his legislative responsibilities, started to live in pondicherry in the year 1910. 16 years later, on 24th November 1926, he publicly acknowledged his withdrawal from general visibility to continue his thorough work. When he continued his work, he was not alone but with supporters who also started working on his principles and thoughts.

Later on, Sri Aurobindo passed on the full liabilities regarding the issues of the SADHAKHS and the Ashram to his spiritual co-worker; “The Mother”. In general, this date is referred to as the establishing date of the Ashram however Sri Aurobindo never believed the same. As per him, “it was less created than grown around him as its centre”.

It is referred to as one of the most peaceful sites in pondicherry and is best for meditation, experiencing peacefulness and so on.

2. Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam

Timings: 05:45 – 12:30 and 16:00 – 21:30

It is a very antique Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Ganesha in the territory of Puducherry. It is a very famous tourist site in Puducherry and why it would not be. The temple holds great importance in the field of art and aesthetics and actually predates the French occupation of the union territory. This temple also survived the apparent attacks to demolish but, thanks to the protests done by the Hindu population of the region and the fear of Marathas or British invasion.

3. The Sacred Heart Basilica

Basilica has a Roman origin and refers to a public building used for multipurpose functions. However later on Basilicas became something very important in Christianity and started to be used as a designation for a church

So, even though this edifice was also once a church but in the month of July 2011, it was officially declared a Basilica. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Gothic revival architecture.

It contains interesting stained glass boards portraying occasions from the existence of Christ and the holy people of the Catholic Church. Looking at recent years, we can say that it is now developing as a holy pilgrimage site for Christians.

The difference between A church and Basilica

The church is basically a place of worship for Christians

However, a Basilica is:

• A designation is given by the pop to any catholic church
• Basilicas are distinguished from Catholic Churches for ceremonial purposes

4. Rock Beach:

A beautiful beach with sturdy rocks on the seashore. The surroundings are clean and the place is good to spend some time with family or friends. Rock beach is a quite decent place to experience Sunrise while taking a morning walk.

The Sunrise view is the best at Rock beach because of the reflection of the light on these shiny rocks. One may not be able to take bath in the sea. Although, the rocks are beautiful and appealingly arranged by themselves but not good for walking on it. It can be very slippery and hence dangerous. 

5. Immaculate Conception Cathedral:

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral is a cathedral which is also a mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of pondicherry and Cuddalore. This church is also called “Samba Kovil” which is the phonetically corrupted form of  “Saint paul’s Kovil”. In this phrase, the term “Kovil” means church.

This place is good to spend some peaceful time in pondicherry apart from the buzz of the city. It is also good for painting lovers as there are many lovely paintings kept inside the church. The church is well-maintained and very beautiful, especially from the inside.

6. Puducherry Museum:

The Museum of Puducherry is known for its collection of lost wax bronzes of the greater Chola Empire. The Museum is situated in Pondicherry and is well-known as an art and history Museum. The museum is famous for having the largest collection of Chola bronzes. Its collections consist of 81 bronze sculptures

For those who do not know about Chola Dynasty:

The Chola Dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in world history known to date. The Chola Empire was also known as the thalassocratic empire also referred to as the maritime empire.

7. Mahatma Gandhi Statue:

Very near to Rock Beach. It is a bronze statue of the great Indian leader and philosopher Mahatama Gandhi. The statue is 4 feet tall and is surrounded by 8 elegant granite pillars Gingee.

Mornings are peaceful and blessed with delightful sunrise. Daytime is quite enjoyable and gives a perfect view of the french architecture in the city from this location. Evenings are best for a walk and a glimpse of the vibrant nightlife of pondicherry is exquisite.

8. Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple:

Varadaraja Perumal Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is located in the union territory of pondicherry. While the temple has a Dravidian style of architecture, it is also a storehouse of Chola Architecture. The temple is surrounded by a granite wall covering all of its shrines. It is believed that the Cholas built this beautiful temple which was later expanded by the Pandyas.

9. Promenade Beach:

A promenade means a paved public walk typically along a seafront. It is situated in the city of pondicherry and has a stretch of more than 1 kilometre.

It is a well-maintained beach on the east of White town with a sufficient seating area. Sunrise is the most beautiful thing to experience here and evenings are packed with many cultural activities. 

Some important places to check out near promenade Beach are Kargil War Memorial, Mahatma Gandhi Statue, the French War Memorial, Old Lighthouse, and Dupleix statue.

Promenade Beach and Rock Beach are not too far from each other but are different points of the same seafront.

10. Serenity Beach:

Serenity Beach is located in Kottakuppam, on the outskirts of pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. This beach is not very large in area but the water here is very clean. This beach also has two sides, one is very calm and peaceful with very less water flow. However, the other side is a little noisier with high-rising waves. Luckily this place has to offer something which in fact requires high waves and that is Surfing. 

There are many Surfing schools as well where you spend a few hours learning it and then try it at least once. However, one should leave the place before it gets dark as there are no lights installed in the area.

Pros: less crowded, adventurous activities are available, the water is very clean and the atmosphere is very good

Cons: No lights are installed, not too safe after sunset, not as clean as others in Tamil Nadu

11. Auroville: 

Auroville is the city of the Dawn founded by The Mother, the spiritual co-worker of Sri Aurobindo.

Man is not final, he is a transitional being. Beyond him awaits formation the diviner race, the superman. 

Sri Aurobindo

The task of giving a concrete form to Sri Aurobindo’s vision was entrusted to the Mother. The creation of a new world, a new humanity, a new society expressing and embodying the new consciousness is the work she has undertaken. By the very nature of things, it is a collective ideal that calls for a collective effort so that it may be realised in the terms of an integral human perfection.

The Mother

The Auroville is an experimental township situated mostly in the state of Tamilnadu whereas some of its parts lie inside the periphery of the union territory of pondicherry.

The image you see is the Matri Mandir which is very beautiful and has a very powerful spiritual atmosphere. Although many tourists visit Auroville daily as per the authorities of Auroville, it is not merely a tourist site. It is indeed a place for individual silent concentration and hence should be visited in a quiet mental and physical state.

There are some guides for tourists to get most of their visit on the website of Auroville. You may check for more information. Know More?

12. Chunnambar Boat House:

A nice place for boat riding and fun activities in Puducherry. A great place to hang out with your family as children are going to love it. The daytime in summer gets hot so you need to reach the boat house as soon as it opens. The last boat runs at 15:45 and hence one needs to reach at least 15 mins before to try a boat ride.

13. Kanniga Parmeswari Temple

There are two places in pondicherry which can give you a spiritual experience. One of them we already talked about is Auroville. The other is the Kanniga Parmeswari Temple located very near Varadaraja Perumal Temple. The design of the temple is of Tamil architecture and consists of motifs of granite pillars. The temple is standing on granite pillars which are in the European style of Architecture. 

The temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Shakti who is also the fierce form of Goddess Durga. Shakti stands for the female power in nature which does not mean a human female but instead the energy behind every happening in nature.

A perfect place for anyone looking for spiritual upliftment and trying to find inner peace. It is also a must-visit place for any tourist considering its architectural significance.

14. Pondicherry French Colony:

Timings: 24*7

The French colony of pondicherry is located in the White Town and the term refers to it as actually a colony of french people. A few people in the colony still speak french which makes it more realistic and enjoyable. This place has really nice houses and cafes in it. A beautiful location with a picturesque view making a perfect blend of a colony and a tourist place.

Bonus tips to visit the best places in Pondicherry:

As a tourist, there are many more places to explore in pondicherry however I tried to put the best out of them. With time, we get to know more about such places which were considered to be unexplored and weren’t visited by many. 

One more thing that I would like to share is that if you have read the article till now means you are serious about your pondicherry trip. Hence keep these travel tips with you as add-ons which will help you to finish your trip in a wonderful way.

• Always check the weather forecast before starting your trip.
• Keep updated on Cyclone Mandous which is currently hitting the southern Indian states now
• Try not to get indulged in any strange while on your trip, especially near the beach area.

Well, I do not want to end this post with such a warning so I must add a famous quote from Sri Aurobindo.

“When the mind is still, then truth gets her chance to be heard in the purity of the silence.”

Sri Aurobindo