(the giant banyan tree)
Pondicherry is one of the places in India that you should definitely visit if you like beaches, spirituality, and some crisp weather.
So, my friends and I decided that we would visit this union territory after attending the Pycon India 2019 meet in Chennai.
Pondi can be reached easily from cities like Chennai. There are direct ‘Ultra Deluxe’ buses under the State Transport Corporation, which reaches Pondi from Chennai in just 3.5 to 4 hours depending on the traffic.
The major attractions in Pondi are its beaches. The three popular beaches are Rock Beach, Paradise Beach and Auroville Beach.
The Paradise beach is as basic as a beach would get. It’s one of the best places to see the sunrise. It is really accessible as there are a lot of hotels where you can stay just nearby.
I was able to watch the sunrise and click a few photos along with my friend George while the rest of our friends slept. It was an experience that they missed. The beach was empty and we were able to watch the majestic beauty of the nature around us.
Rock beach is the place to chill in the evenings with your friends. The beach gets its name from all the rocks that make up the beach. But don’t worry, there is an actual beach with just sand and no rocks towards the end too.
One of the must-visit places in Pondicherry is Auroville. Auroville is a township that comes under the Aurobindo Ashram. The main attraction in Auroville is the Matrimandir, which will be open every day from 9 to 11 in the morning for meditation. So if you’re visiting Matrimandir, make sure you go at that time so that you can enter inside the mandir rather than just go up until the entrance and click pictures.
The photos from the mandir site
It was a very memorable trip and I wish the reader too will be able to visit this place and experience the trip. Book in advance and avail lesser fares.
There are several hotels that cater to both western and Asian cuisine. Pondi was a region occupied by the French and so there are several buildings based on French architectural style.
