Pondicherry (also known as "Pondy", and now officially called Puducherry), is a city and capital of the Pondicherry union territory of Southern India.
About
Though very small, Pondicherry was the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. 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, although the city remains very much Indian. French is still understood, and the whole city makes for rather pleasant mix of East and West. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East . If you've spent some time in Tamil Nadu and approached Pondicherry by land, you'll very likely experience mild culture shock on discovering French architecture and restaurants serving steak and good wine. Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality: crossing from East to West of the central canal reveals two cities with very different characters.
Talk
The main language spoken in Pondicherry is Tamil, though French is also widely spoken. Telugu and Malayalam are the other two official languages, but their use is generally confined to specific districts.
English is spoken by most educated people, and is the lingua franca between people from different linguistic districts. If you know English or Tamil, you can survive your visit to Pondicherry. French alone will not help.
How to Reach
Pondicherry is well connected from all sides. Chennai is situated 160 km north of the city. Getting to Pondicherry involves a three hour road journey from Chennai. One can get a bus from CMBT in Koyambedu or from Thiruvanmiyur or Guindy. You can be sure of a seat only from CMBT in Koyambedu.
The ECR bus, which can be picked up at the Tiruvanmiur stop in Chennai, is the most economical way of getting to Pondicherry, costing less than ₹100. The ECR bus will drop you at the main bus terminal, and rickshaws will be outside waiting to take you the rest of the way. Rickshaws can be bargained down to 50 rupees to get to the French Quarter.
You can also take a taxi from Chennai Airport. It costs ¹1,500 (c. USD35) (Dec 2009)
The road from Chennai to Pondicherry (the East Coast Road, commonly called ECR) is a scenic highway and a normal journey would take about 3 hours. Most tourists however, cannot resist the seashore kissing the ECR and take a number of stops en route. This route passes through Mahabalipuram, Kalpakkam, Pudupattinam, Idaikkazhinadu (Alamparai or Alambara Fort), Mudaliarkuppam (has a cool boat house), Marakkanam (contains large areas under salt pans), Kanagachettikulam/Kalapet etc. before reaching Pondicherry.
The other route that can be taken to reach Pondy is through the National Highway 45 (NH-45) famously called the Grand Southern Trunk (GST). This route passes through Tambaram, Madhurantakam, Melmaruvathur and Tindivanam before reaching Pondicherry. Both the major roads from Chennai are toll roads and take approximately the same time.
Pondicherry is about 320 km from Bangalore. Drive down National Highway 7 (NH-7) till Krishnagiri, take a left off the main highway (road signs mark the route) and then take National Highway 66 (NH-66) to Pondicherry. This route passes through Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam. You can reach Pondicherry either through Tindivanam (via Gingee) or Villupuram (via Thirukovilur). Gingee Fort is also on the way to Tindivanam and worth spending some time at. It's an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Heritage site. The total travel time should be about 5-6 hours. Do pack some food or snacks for the way as there are no good restaurants en route.
Pondicherry is well connected to Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, etc. to the South by National Highway 45A (NH-45A). The road is well maintained till Chidambaram.
Pondicherry connects to the GST or NH-45 in two places: at Villupuram by NH-45A and at Tindivanam by NH-66.
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai by an electric broad gauge railway line through Villupuram. There are 2 passenger trains running daily to Chennai Egmore Railway station and Tirupati and there is a weekly express train service to Bhubaneswar. In addition to this, there is also a daily express train to Chennai Egmore. It is advisable to go by road rather than train to Pondicherry from Chennai as the journey is longer by train.
Bangalore Yesvanthapur(YPR) to Pondicherry(PDY) is connected by a 3-Tier AC Train called Garibh Rath Express. It covers a distance of 456 km in each direction however it takes 10 hours 5 mins when operating as train number 12255 at an average speed of 60km/h (excluding halts). It leaves Puducherry as train number 12256 on Saturday at 22:05 and at the end of 8 halts arrives at Yesvanthapur the next day at 08:25. It leaves Yesvantpur as train number 12255 on Friday at 23:15 and at the end of 9 halts arrives at Puducherry the next day at 09:20. Coach Composition comprises 16 AC 3 tier coaches and 2 luggage cum generator coach taking the total up to 18 coaches.
Pondicherry has an airport with facilities for the landing of small aircraft like Dornier, Cessna, etc. Spicejet operates daily afternoon flights from Bangalore (with connections to/from other major Indian cities) since January 2013. Several airlines have shown interest in flying to Puducherry Airport. Cabs meet arriving flights at the airport, and charge ₹350 to the centre of town. You can also take a short (30 minute) auto rickshaw from the airport to the centre of town. The rate for taking an auto rickshaw from within the airport complex to the city centre is about ₹150, as of Apr 2013. If you walk to outside the airport complex and flag down an auto you may be able to negotiate a better rate.
Chennai airport is the nearest international airport, which is approximately 135km from Pondicherry. Chennai airport is nicely connected to major cities in India as well as abroad. A one-way cab ride from Chennai airport to Pondicherry is approximately ‚¹1,500, and takes around 3 hours.
Get around
The best way to see Pondicherry and its surrounding areas is by renting out a "Pedal cycle" or a "motorcycle" or "gearless scooter". But as traffic increases, it is increasingly difficult to walk in many streets as they are crowded. There are several rental outlets on Mission St and MG Rd. The prices as of July 2010 were Rs.200/day for a gearless scooter, and ‚250/day for a geared motorcycle and ‚40/day for a bicycle. You will need to provide some identification document as collateral and an advance of ‚500. Make sure you check the cycle thoroughly before taking it on rent. A cycle I rented out at Sri Durga Parameshwari rentals on Mission Street developed a puncture within an hour of riding it-probably a problem with the tube itself. Many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. (Note: Usually the number of days for these vehicles are calculated 09:00-21:00. The motorbikes are easily available in a couple of two wheeler rental shops in Mission Street. The Pondicherry tourism development corporation has daily bus services for tourists and it covers all the important tourist spots to be seen in Pondicherry. It is the best and most economic way to tour Pondicherry.
See
Do
There is not much one is expected to do at Pondicherry. You would understand this better once you get there and understand the pace of life.
You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, or going to Bharatanatyam performances that are often organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange in the local temples, or at major hotels.
You can also go fishing in a Catamaran or while away your evenings at the Rocky Beach. You can also hire mopeds and go on long drives for the sandy beaches that dot the coast line.
You can also experience staying in a traditional 'Parapachai' house - an affectionate name given by connoisseurs to traditional green colored houses. First class experience.
Buy
Eat
Pondicherry is known for its wide variety of cuisines ranging from South Indian delicacies like idly and dosa to seafood like fried fish, prawn bajji and parota.
French influence can be seen to some extent in the local food. The best options are still the local delicacies; the excellent seafood. Good French food is available at restaurants around the French part of town.
Drink
Good branded liquor like Smirnoff, Bacardi and different Scotch whiskies are very inexpensive as there is no sales tax in Pondicherry. A good store is the "Costprice shop" on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road.
Sleep
Stay safe
Always carry passport with you and put a sticky note inside it with phone number of your travel consultant. Never pay anyone upfront, especially to agents or drivers.
Never exchange money with unauthorized foreign exchange dealers. Ask for receipt after exchanging money with the broker.
Don’t get trap in the narcotics trading, as no one wants to end his journey in prison. Switch off your mobile phones while in museums, temples and churches or they will be confiscated.
Cope
Reproduced from Wikipedia
