Day Eight: French Colony

Since it is my last day in Pondicherry I decided to walk around the French colonies of Pondicherry and check out some of the boutiques that I had passed by earlier in the week. There is a strong French influence in the city, especially in the old quarters, with Rues and Boulevards lined with Mediterranean style houses and bakeries; however, the city remains very much indian.

Day Eight: Coffee.Com

After my very relaxing day yesterday, I went for a run in Pondicherry and passed by this small coffee shop. I decided to stop by on my way back to get a cup of coffee even though I'm not much of a coffee drinker . As it turns out, the coffee that I had was very good. When I stopped by it was packed so my guess is that it is a very busy because the residents of Pondicherry and the travelers stop by very often.

Day Seven: La Maison Rose

For dinner tonight after going to the Matrimandir I went to this great little restaurant called La Maison Rose. It has a very calm and relax vibe which I liked, it is an old french villa that was turned into a small restaurant with an open air backyard. It had a french feel as if you were in France even though you were in India! The food was amazing and trés délicieux!

Day Seven: Matrimandir

This picture above is a picture of the Matrimandir monument located outside of Pondicherry. When I first arrived to Pondicherry the Hotel insisted that I should visit. The Matrimandir has a spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga,  and is situated at the center of Auroville. It is called soul of the city and is located in a large open space called Peace. The Matrimandir took 37 years to build; the Geodesic dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance. 

Day Six: Bharati Government Park

This picture above is the Bharati Government Park. The Bharati Government Park is in the green centre of the Town. The Aayi Mandapam is a famous monument which lies at the center of the Bharati Park. Strolling under the cool trees is as relaxing as it gets, unless people rush to the spot when an occassional movie is being shot. 

Day Five: Villa Shanti

This is a picture of the restaurant I ate at last night called Villa Shanti. There was a verandah which was surrounding a courtyard; the feel of the restaurant was modern with a french touch. The food was outstanding. It had some Indian cuisine as well as continental. The waiter service was amazing; they were exceptionally kind and very helpful to me in translating the menu.  I would definitely recommend eating there.

Day Four: Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple

The photo above is of the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple. It is one of the most unique temples with an extremely unique story proceeding it. Long ago, the Union Territory of India, Pondicherry, was ruled by the Europeans, and atheist lived in this territory.

If any of you would like to visit the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple 

here is the address below

Francois Martin St, 

White Town  Puducherry, 

Pondicherry 605001,

India

Day Three: Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pondicherry

This picture above is an image of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pondicherry. The church is situated on the south boulevard of Pondicherry in India,  and is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and saints of the catholic church. In the year 1895, the then Archbishop Mgr.Gandhi consecrated the Archidocese if Pondicherry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He wished to build a new church in devotion of Sacred Heart of Jesus. Rev.Fr. Telesphore Welter, the parish priest of Nellithope prepared the building plan. This 100-year old Church has been led by twenty parish priests. The Grotto for Our Lady of Lourdes, Parish Hall, Adoration chapel and the new parish community hall were some of the development of this church since the 1960s. 

Day Two: The Pondicherry Beach

Today I decided to take a walk along the beach in Pondicherry. I thought that it was quite relaxing and a great way to start my busy day! The Promenade is on Beach Road is one of the main boulevard's in Pondicherry, the road runs along the shore. While there is no longer a sand beach, the Beach Road is closed any moving vehicles during the evenings, it makes the walk along the shore peaceful.

Day One: Monuments & Statues

This statue above is called the Mahatma Gandhi Statue. The statue is surrounded by 8 granite pillars which were supposedly brought from Gingee. It is located across from the statue of Jawaharlal Nehru. When I have passed by this statue the people are using the space for various cultural, musical and commercial activities.

This statue above is a statue of Joseph Francois Dupleix. Joseph Francois Dupleix was born in Landrecies, France. He made several voyages to the Americas and India, and in 1720 was named a member of the superior council at Pondicherry. In 1730 he was made superintendent of French affairs in Chandernagore, the town prospered under his administration and grew into great importance. His reputation procured him in 1742 the appointment of governor general of all French establishments in India. He succeeded Dumas as the French governor of Pondichéry. 

Day One: Pondicherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in Pondicherry. In 1692 with financial help from Louis XIV who was the king of France at the time erected a church which was later demolished by the Dutch. In 1699 another church was quickly built but didn't last long so in 1728 until 1736 a large church was built and later torn down by the British during the Seven Year War in 1761. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral has been torn down three times, the church that is there was completed in 1791 and has been standing for around 300 years.

For any of those who would like to visit the magnificent cathedral below is the location.

204, Mission Street Near VOC School,

Mission Street

Puducherry, Pondicherry 

605001, India

Day One: Arrival to Le Pondy Hotel

Today is my first day in Pondicherry. I just got to my hotel; above is a picture of the hotel I am staying in. It's called the Le Pondy Hotel. I choose this resort because it seemed very peaceful and relaxing and it is not directly inside of the city. 

Here is the Hotels address if you would like to check it out if you are in the area 

No.3,Lake View Road,

Pudukuppam, Nallvadu Post, 

Pondicherry 60500

India