Pondicherry Things to Do

Ousteri Lake is th elargest lake in pondichery, it is around 8 KM outside the Pondichery Town. We headed there last sunday to tak emy niece boating and I think we enjoyed the boat ride more than she did! The water fowl population was simply amamzing, needless to say AJ was busy with his camera in action! :D This bird population is the key to the government declaring the lake itself as a bird sanctuary. Sadly the creation of the childrens park has lead to the chopping of trees and apparently there are other such urbanization trends that are a huge threat to the lake!
The boating itself was very good, for a nominal fee of Rs 50 they take you on a half hour ride around the periphery of the lake. The birds seem to be used to the boats and are ususally not too disturbed by it. It is a man made water body but has existed for centuries! Lets just hope it's demise is also not man made!

Auroville means the city of Dawn.It is located about 10 kilometres from Pondicherry town.It was inaugurated on 28 th of February 1962 ( the year I was born ! ).It is an international township and has as a tokenism sand and soil from 175 countries around the world !It has a capacity to have a population of 50000 and currently has 2000 people from 27 countries.It is a spectacular place and you'll surely fall in love with it !

The Church of Our Lady of Angels - Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges - was built by French Missionaries in 1865. It is modeled after the Basilica at Lourdes (located in Southern France). The most notable feature of the church is its masonry. In order to create a texture similar to white marble, the finest of limetstone was mixed with whites of eggs. The facade of the church has two columns. The tops are Ionic and the bottoms are Doric, both styles of classical architecture.

The other notable feature of the church is an oil painting that was presented by Napolean. The interior central dome has eight circular openings.

The church setting is very picturesque. Trees and flowers frame the church property. Looking out from the front you can see the statue of Joan of Arc and the Bay of Bengal. In front of the chruch is a statue of Mary with infant Jesus in her arms.

This 19th century lighthouse is one of Pondicherry's most famous landmarks. Before the lighthouse was built there wasn't any signal for the ships coming to Pondicherry. A committee was formed to persuade the goverment to build a lighthouse. After they agreed it took some time to get the project going.

The foundation was laid in 1835. At the time it was built, it was considered a modern lighthouse for its time because of its unique architecture of a round tower. It took only a few months to complete and the inauguration ceremony took place in February 1836. However, the beacon had not arrived from France so the lighthouse was not operational until it arrived in July 1836.

The lighthouse is 29 meters high. Its round tower sits on a square base with a foundation nine meters deep to stablilize the sandy ground on which it was built.

The lighthouse is not in use today but is still very interesting to see.

Government Park (also known as Bharati Park) was once the site of the first French garrison, Fort Louis, which was destroyed by the British in 1761. Its name comes from the fact that it is surrounded by many prestigious government buildings.

Today it is an absolutely beautiful - and peaceful - park ideal for a walk or nap! You'll find perfectly manicured lawns, flower beds, fountains, and statues all around the park. There is a great children's area with all sorts of playground equipment.

Wander the grounds and admire the flowers and statues, then take off your shoes and relax on the lawn!

The "Promenade" runs for 1.5 km along Goubert Avenue (Beach Road) overlooking the Bay of Bengal. At the far southern end is a small children's park. Continuing north you will pass several statues (Gandhi), monuments (French War Memorial), heritage buildings (Mairie), even the old lighthouse.

The Bay is clean and mostly blue, although huge rocks prevent you from reaching the water (no swimming). Most of the time it is too hot to walk during the day but the Promenade really comes to life at night. Hawkers set up stalls of snack foods. Other hawkers sell pinwheels and neon-lit toys. Families, couples, and tourists all come out to walk.

It is a perfect spot to watch the sun set!

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Manakula Vinayagar Temple is one of the most popular temples in Pondicherry. It is dedicated to Lord Ganesh, one of the most popular Hindu deities. Evidence indicates that the temple dates back to 1666. The name means "pond with a fragrance", a reference to the banks of the sandy pond on which the temple was built.

The local story is that the French tried to remove the Ganesh statue from the temple, but the idol reappeared each time it was removed. Thus the plan to demolish the temple was dropped.

The inside of the temple is decorated with more than 40 (wonderful) paintings of Ganesh in various forms. The inner sanctum is open to Hindus only. This is not a large temple but well worth visiting for the paintings and ambience around the temple.

At the entrance to the temple is Lakshmi, the temple elephant. With her painted head and necklace of bells, she welcomes you to the temple. If you would like to feed her fruits from the nearby shops, you'll need to ask her care taker. If you would like to give her money, no need to ask! Just drop a Rs 10 note into her trunk and she'll place her trunk on your head in blessing.

In addition to selling fruit for Lakshmi, shops along the road leading to the temple entrance sell various religious offerings (garlands, flowers, etc.), religious articles, and also some souvenirs.

Photos are not allowed inside the actual temple. Shoes must be removed. Shoekeeper to the left of the entrance. Pay a few rupees when you pick up your shoes.

The Ashram was established in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo, a revolutionary, poet, philosopher, and Yogi, and his chief disciple and lifelong French companion, Mirra Alfassa ("The Mother").

The Ashram is a spiritual center for the practice of Integral Yoga and is the major draw in Pondicherry. It is one of the most popular Ashrams in India for Westerners. It is also considered one of the most affluent.

Various ashram buildings, workshops, shops, and guesthouses are all around town. You can recognize the buildings by the pale grey color highlighted with white.

Be sure to see the stone samadhi (tomb) of Surobindo and The Mother located in the central courtyard of the main building.

Across from the main ashram building on Rue de la Marine is the educational center. The center is stocked with books in almost every language. Upcoming events held at the center including films, plays, and lectures, are posted on the ashram's notice board.

Entrance to the ashram is free, although donations may be collected. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Children under 3 are not admitted.

Check the website for information on inexpensive ashram accommodation and dining options.