Pondicherry Travel Guide

Pondicherry Travel Guide

Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, and named for the largest, Pondicherry.

In September 2006, the territory changed its official name from Pondicherry to the vernacular original, Puducherry, which means "New village" in the Tamil language. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East. Official languages of Pondicherry are French, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Status of each languages varies differently with respect to each district. When communicating between districts of different languages, generally English is used for convenience. People more than 10,000 speak French. This unique place has something to offer for all tastes. It has a glorious history with its French connection. The remnants of the past French culture is evident here .The place is a treat for tourists as one could experience the calm spirituality of the place with its vast stretches of unspoilt beaches, the backwaters , the simple but elegant resorts, temples, churches and the Ashram. Besides, on the other side you could experience a nice shopping experience as the city is famous for its textiles, silks and doll making industry. The place is extremely famous for its pottery, handmade paper, leather aromatics and so on. The shopping experience is particularly a pleasant one as the prices are extremely reasonable as the taxes levied are extremely low. Pondy as Pondicherry is fondly called has an exquisite range of hotels and resorts. All of them have a distinct class and cater to the domestic and international tourist needs. The eateries cater to multi cuisine tastes with the cuisines ranging from French, continental, oriental and so on. With its distinct French connection, it is but natural that Pondicherry is a center of fashion. There are a number of top quality boutiques, antique furniture galleries and the likes. Pondy is particularly attractive as it is extremely accessible from Chennai and serves as a preferred spot for onferences and conventions of corporate houses. Altogether it is a remarkable place to spend some of the most memorable moments of your life.

Last Updated: 29/03/2012