Pondicherry
A place where Roman traders, Tamil kingdoms, French governors, and modern spiritual experiments all left their mark. Uncover its history and explore its charms.
New here?
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This site runs deep. If you don't know where to begin, pick the door that matches what brought you here.
Have one day?
A complete route from dawn on the Promenade to dusk on the sea wall.
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Want to walk it yourself?
The self-guided White Town walk, street by street.
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Here for the history?
Roman traders to French governors: the full story.
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Here for the food?
French cafés, Tamil thalis, and everything between.
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Few towns in India carry as many layers as Pondicherry. Roman traders, Chola kings, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French have all left their mark on a stretch of coastline that refused to be ordinary.
The governors, soldiers, scholars, and saints who shaped the town.
25 carefully chosen places to stay, from heritage boutique hotels to budget guesthouses, for every taste.
40 streets, each named after a governor or admiral. Each one has a story.
Churches, temples, museums, and colonial buildings — two thousand years of local history.
Pondicherry punches above its weight for food. French-influenced cafés, fresh seafood, Tamil homecooked thalis and enough coffee & ice cream to keep you going through the afternoon heat.
The French centres of excellence that still carry on their work, some under Indian administration.
Places with no equivalent anywhere in India. Yours to explore at your own pace.
Founded in 1968 on a plateau of eroded land north of Pondicherry, Auroville is home to around 3,400 people from more than 60 countries. It is neither a tourist attraction nor a spiritual retreat. Read before you visit.
Pondicherry celebrates constantly, and unusually. Each month is a feast.
All you need to know before you arrive.
