Pondicherry – Places in this French Town

Who wants to see places of French origin in India?

The Promenade, White Town. Also known as Goubert Avenue, it is Pondicherry’s beach road on the eastern side.

Welcome to Pondicherry (Puducherry), the small and humid French town which the French left to the Indians to domesticate. Though it is best to avoid seaside towns located any where near the Equator, this part of India is extremely rich in culture and history. And it is just not Pondy but Karaikal, Tranquebar, Kumbakonam, Chidamabaram, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam… all within a four hour radius.

Places to visit in Pondicherry – Joan of Arc

For people who have not visited Pondicherry, the entire town does not look French in terms of architecture though the influence is certainly there. But the original part of the town which is the small rectangle of White Town upto Mission Street (Pondicherry’s toniest avenue), does and this section is the Frenchiest of Pondicherry for the casual visitor. 

The French influence is quite visible through both the Franco Tamil population and Francophiles themselves, the French commercial establishments, the French tourists and the street names.

Places to visit in Pondicherry – Dusk on the pier on the Promenade

These are the few things to notice here.

1. Pondicherry calms your mind. Period.
2. In no other town of India are there so many local women on BSA Ladybird bicycles.
3. French speaking Indian guides are ubiquitous making the French tourists truly comfortable.
4. Loved the Cluny School of Music on Suffren Street in White Town. Whenever I passed the school in the afternoon, there were piano notes or violin notes wafting through the air. I am told that the music teachers are mostly French senior citizens and would also recommend sitting on the pavement outside the school and listen to the students practice on any balmy afternoon.

   

   Maison Perumal, A Boutique Hotel

5. The French population here is not stagnant but actually growing though at a snail’s pace.
6. I learnt to appreciate Auroville if not for anything but the forest that has been planted over the years and also the pretty women who dot the township. Still need to attend the meditation center and still need to feel Auroville’s soul.

   

   Places to visit in Pondicherry – Matri Mandir, Auroville

   

   Places to visit in Pondicherry – Goubert Market

7. 

   Goubert Market

   Goubert market on Nehru street was always fun to explore. The market is a smorgasbord of seafood like prawns, lobsters, fish, squid, sharks and the dank smell of the sea pervades this market. Bought crabs for an exorbitant price because my bargaining skills were bad and went on to make a crab curry dish. 

8. Why is there no ban on plastic on the Promenade(Beach Road) and maybe even in White Town. Do the French have to teach us that?
9. Why are there so many stray dogs? And who is going to pick up the dog poo after the owners desultorily take their dogs out for a stroll?
10. Do you know that no one goes to Auro beach now. A house there got washed away and there is to much debris in the seawaters. So the adjacent Surya beach is what

    

    Moonrise on the Promenade

    everyone refers to as Auro beach? And it certainly is not a great beach. The best and accessible beach is Serenity beach. The government though is now (2017) building a beach on the Promenade, adjacent to the state Secretariat. 

11. The moonrise on the Promenade is spectacular.
12. Old furniture shops dot the ECR in Pondy and have sell humongous wooden pillars of sizable girth. Wonderful to buy a pair and keep them for your new home.
13. Driving a car in White Town is a serious waste of time. Instead rent a bicycle from Mission Street as it’s the best way to explore this labyrinth town.
14. Avoid the tourist hotspots of Pondy. They are not worth it. Instead try to soak up the culture. Activities keep happening in the Alliance Francaise center, Auroville etc.

    

    Places to visit in Pondicherry – Alliance Francaise

15. Ossudu lake is nothing interesting though you can take a boat ride and see those pelicans.
16. Paradise beach is a lovely sandbar on the southern side of town. One has to go to Chunnambar boat house from where you are taken to the beach. But that is not the only way to reach this beach.

    

    Scuba Diving

17. Some houses in White Town are exceptional in their architecture.

    

    Pondy Architecture

    Most of them have the classic yellow and white or peach and white combination. 

18. What’s with the traffic police in Pondy?

    

    Notice the French remnants

    If your vehicle is not a locally registered one and you are caught in a mishap not of your own creation, be prepared for some very partisan behaviour by the cops.

19. Autos are exorbitant.
20. So maybe some of the cafes. But the most comfortable place to relax and have a beer is LB2 Lounge on Labourdannais Street. 

    

    Places to visit in Pondicherry – LB2 Lounge, Pondicherry – Retains its charm

21. Be prepared to hear people of Indian origin or Indians speaking in fluent French to each other while walking on the road or when buying vegetables. You begin to wonder if they know English at all.
22. An early morning run on the Promenade is refreshing though your tees become so wet that you actually start feeling cold in the heat.

    

    Places to visit in Pondicherry – Promenade, Pondicherry

23. French citizenship for the locals is not on offer. Thus the older generation Indians are French but not the new generation.
24. Buy pottery in Pondicherry. It is of good quality and very eclectic. Ray Meeker of Golden Bridge Pottery has made it famous and other recognisable brands are Mantra and Mandala. Some are available at high prices in Kalki on Mission Street.
25. The Sacred Heart Basilica opposite the Railway station has character. The stained glass and high gothic roofs are impressive to watch from inside. Sit at the door on the southern side where the draft of air makes your mind relax a bit and think about your loved ones.

Marathon and the Custom’s House Lighthouse, View from Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus Church, Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, View of the Promenade from the Pier, Harbour Lighthouse, Scuba Diving, Promenade