Heritage Buildings & Monuments

BEACH ROAD
No visit to puducherry is complete without a walk along beach road. Friday, Saturday and Sunday and holiday evening are busiest. The Police close both end of the road for vehicular traffic. Beach road has little of architectural interest, but oceans of simple charm and officially called Goubert Avenue.  Explore the hotels and packages with Indian Travel Agent.

Children's Park & Dupleix Statue
It is a seaside park with a statue of a Dupleix. Marquis Joseph Francois Dupleix was an integral part of puducherry's colonial past. Explore the hotels and packages with Indian Travel Agent.He was the governor of puducherry between 1742 and 1754. The 2.88 m tall statue of Dupleix stands at the southern end of the park. Even though Dupleix left puducherry in 1754, French recognition of his contribution came only in 1870, with the commissioning of two statues-one in puducherry and the other in France.

The Mairie
Located on Goubert Avenue, this charming white building, facing the sea almost transports you to France. Use your imagination a little and you could very well be on a French sea side resort. Today it houses the offices of the puducherry Municipality. Explore the hotels and packages with Indian Travel Agent.

Le Caf
It was once the port office when the railway ran along Beach Road from the South Boulevard to the old 240 meters iron pier. A cyclone in 1952 largely destroyed the pier whose remains can still be seen poking out of the water. Explore Special Holidays with us.

Gandhi Statue
This is a highlight of puducherry. Explore Special Holidays with us.A four-meter statue of Mahatma Gandhi is surrounded by eight magnificent granite pillars, which were supposedly brought from Gingee, a fort some 70 Kms. from puducherry.

French War Memorial
The French War Memorial on Goubert Avenue is solemn reminder of those brave soldiers who laid down their lives, for their country during the First World War. Every year on the 14th July (Bastille Day) the memorial is beautifully illuminated and homage is paid to those brave martyrs. Explore Special Holidays with us.

Nehru Statue
Located across the street from the imposing Gandhi statue, the statue is also flanked by four pillars from Gingee. The space in front plays host to various cultural, musical and commercial activities through the year.

19th Century Light House
This light house was used for the first time on July 1st 1836 and continued to be used upto the year 1979. This now- abandoned lighthouse stands on the edge of the sea.

French Consulate
French Consulate General is the only diplomatic mission in town. This colonial building has changed over the years, and yet manages to retain some of its original 18th Century charm. The consulate is open to French citizens. Explore Special Holidays with us.

Around Bharathi Park
The park located in the heart of puducherry, is one of the most beautiful public spots in puducherry, with its lush green surroundings and shady trees providing succour from the harsh puducherry sun to many a weary soul. At any time of the day you will always find a smattering of people including locals. Indian travel agent gives special discounted hotel from budget hotels to Deluxe hotels in India. Besides the beautiful Aayi Mandapam in the centre of the park, there are a number of smaller surprises that greet you as you walk around in the park, like the exquisitely carved granite pillars and stone carvings of various gods and yallis. The park is also surrounded by interesting heritage buildings like.

Aayi Mandapam
This gleaming white monument built during the time of Napoleon III, Emperor of the France. The monument commemorates both the provision of water to the French city during his reign and the good deed of a lady some 300 years before.

Raj Niwas
The Government House (Raj Niwas) is a harmonious blend of French and Indian style of architecture. Once the location of the Hotel de la Compagnie (the French trading company that ruled in puducherry from its first settlement in 1674 until the French government took over in 1769) and later played host to Dupleix. It is now the Lieutenant Governor's residence. It is not open to the general public except on certain national holidays like Republic Day on 26th January, when it is adorned with lights and looks rater impressive. One can however get a glimpse of the grandeur within, through the tall imposing gates, which are guarded by red 'kepi' adorning police guards. Indian travel agent gives special discounted hotel from budget hotels to Deluxe hotels in India.

Romain Rolland Library
The Romain Rolland library was established in 1872 and has a rich collection of more than 3,00,000 volumes in both French and English. It also boasts of a mobile library service which has a collection of more than 8000 books. These books are taken to nearby villages by bus, in order to make the books more accessible to the common man. The library also houses some rare editions of books. Indian travel agent gives special discounted hotel from budget hotels to Deluxe hotels in India. The reference section on the second floor is open to the general public.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India, with devotees from India and all over the world flocking to it for spiritual salvation. Its spiritual tenets represent a synthesis of yoga and modern science. It is open to the public daily between 08-1200 hrs and 1400-1800 hrs. Children below 3 years of age are not allowed into the ashram and photography is allowed only with permission of the ashram authorities.  Indian travel agent gives special discounted hotel from budget hotels to Deluxe hotels in India.

The Ashram was set up in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo Ghose, one of India's greatest philosopher-poets, who originally came to Pondy to escape persecution by the British. It was after arriving in puducherry, that he was drawn into the ply rooted in yoga and his writings inspired a number of followers.

One of them was a Parisian mystic, painter and musician called Mirra Alfassa, who was so inspired by his philosophy that she stayed on in puducherry and was instrumental in establishment of the ashram. After Aurobindo?s death in 1950, the running of the Ashram was entrusted to his chief disciple and companion, Mirra Alfassa, (also known as The Mother. The idea of Auroville or the 'City of Down' was conceived by 'The Mother'. She died in 1973 at the age of 93.

The ashram's influence can be felt in most of puducherry. The main ashram building is where the mortal remains of Aurobindo and the Mother are kept. Their Samadhi or mausoleum, which is generally surrounded by supplicating devotees, is in the central courtyard under a frangipani tree and is covered daily with flowers.

Some of the ashram's facilities like the Library and the Main Building (during collective meditation) can be accessed, only after obtaining a gate pass from the Bureau Central or some of the Ashram Guest Houses.

Auroville
Auroville or the City of Down was conceived as a utopian paradise by the Mother, the spiritual successor of Sri Aurobindo. The idea was to build a futuristic city where people of goodwill would live together in peace and harmony. Auroville came into existence in 1968. The Auroville Charter says To live in Auroville one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness and describes it as belonging to nobody in particular, but to humanity as a whole and as being a place of constan

spiritual realm and discovered the power of yoga. His philosophy deet progress and a bridge between the past and the future.

Located around 8 km northwest of puducherry, it was designed by the French architect Roger Anger. Around 1900 people live in communes, with names like Grace, Serenity, Fertile, Certitude and Transformation. Two-thrids of the residents are non-indians. Architecturally speaking the buildings are a combination of modern western and traditional Indian elements and are set in a rural landscape of narrow lanes, deep red earth and lush greenery. The residents sustain themselves by involving themselves in agriculture, handicrafts, alternative technology, educational and development projects including Aurolec, a computer software company.

The Matri Mandir is set in an area of 62 acres and reflects the Mother spiritual beliefs. It was conceived as ?a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection. Union with the Divine manifesting in a progressive unity.

During the inauguration ceremony of Auroville on 28th February 1968, the soil of 124 countries was poured into a lotus-shaped an urn, to symbolize universal oneness. This urn is today kept in the Matri Mandir. This spherical marble chamber has a crystal placed inside it, (believed to be the largest of its kind in the world) reflecting the suns rays. The concentrated light acts as a focal point to aid mediation. Special Holidays with very attractive and discounted packages and hotel bookings.