About Pondicherry: Pondicherry, recently renamed as Puducherry, is a town tucked away on the Eastern seaboard of India. Among its diverse attractions are, a coastline of 32 kms, palm-fringed beaches, backwaters, fishing villages, beach resorts, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville, the French Boulevard town with its French heritage, and so on.
A remarkable degree of French influence in Pondicherry exists to this date. Pondicherry was designed based on the French (originally Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The town is divided into two sections: the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or 'White town') and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or 'Black Town'). Many streets still retain their French names, and French style villas are a common sight.

Duration of the trip: It was a three days and three night’s trip from Bangalore. We started from Madiwala, Bangalore at 11 pm on Friday and reached back to Bangalore on Monday midnight.

Transportation: We traveled by bus from Bangalore to Pondicherry and vice-versa. We board Sea Bird Tourists bus from Madiwala at 11:00pm and reached Pondicherry next morning around 6:30 am. For coming back, we board the Sea Bird Tourists bus from Pondicherry at 4:00 pm, Monday and reached Bangalore at around 11:30 pm.
For going to Pondicherry, we opted for an AC sleeper coach bus which cost Rs 650/- per head and for coming back, we booked A/C semi sleeper, costs per head Rs 500/- per head.

Details of the Trip:
Day1: After reaching to Pondicherry bus stand in the morning, we hired an auto for Rs 70/- to reach the hotel, Hotel Ram International. We were three people, and we booked and Standard double bed room at Rs. 1200 and for the extra person, we took an extra bed at Rs 250/-.
The hotel was very clean and service was quite good. Though the hotel was not very near to any beach, but ‘Gandhi Beach’, the main beach of Pondicherry was at 5 minutes distance in auto.
Upon reaching to the hotel, we had our breakfast and took a small nap. In the evening, we hired an auto and went to Chunnambar Boat House. From our hotel to the boat house, the auto fare was Rs 180/- each way. The auto driver offered us to wait until we come back without any charge.
From the Chunnamber boat house, one can hire boats for long and short back water trips or can go to nearby island, ‘Paradise Island’. There are two separate ticket counters also, one for taking ticket to go inside the boat house, and another is the ticket counter to boats.

Boat House and Ticket details for Entrance

Boating Ticket Tariff

Inside the boat house there a small restaurant and kids play area also available. We bought tickets for motor boat and went to Paradise Island. The beach is quite good, but if one compare with beaches of Goa or Andaman or Kerala, he has to be disappointed.

Paradise Island

We spent over two hours over there and came back to main Pondicherry land. In the evening, we planned to spend some time at Gandhi Beach but due to rain, we had to drop our plan.

Day 2: We woke up early at 4:30 am and reached to Gandhi Beach as we didn’t want to miss the sun rise. If anything in Pondicherry is not to be missed, then that is Sunrise @ Gandhi Beach. Divine, Godly, Out of the world are very small words to explain the feeling over there. The beach was full of people but no sounds other than of waves were there. We enjoyed every bit of this. The cleanliness, the discipline maintained over there is not something, which can be seen in India. The promenade called Goubert Avenue is one of the best promenades I have ever seen.

Sun Rise @ Gandhi Beach

Gourbert Avenue Promenade, street along the Gandhi Beach

We also visited the graceful and majestic French War Memorial, which stands tall as one of the architectural wonders of Pondicherry. Situated in the Goubert Avenue promenade, the French War Memorial was constructed in honor of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the altar of the World War I.

French War Memorial

 Statue of Dupleix is a 3 meter high statue built to honor Francois Dupleix, who governed Pondicherry until1754. This was commissioned in 1870.

Statue of Dupleix

We then returned to hotel, got ready, took breakfast and started to explore Pondicherry. We again hired an auto in Rs 1100/- (yes that’s the amount; auto is the best option to travel in and around Pondicherry). The places we visited throughout the day were,
Prithyankara Devi Temple, also called as Atharvan Kali Devi Temple, which is 72 feet in height and 500 years old in age. It is situated near Auroville. This Deity is the powerful goddess of Mantra, Tantra and Yantra.

Prithyankara Devi Temple

Auroville or City of Dawn is an "experimental" township in Viluppuram distrirct near Pondicherry. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (also known as "The Mother") and designed by architect Roger Anger. As stated in Alfassa's first public message about the township, "Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women from all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity."

Aurovilla and shops of crafts made in Aurovilla

In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, which has been acclaimed as "an outstanding and original architectural achievement." It was conceived by "The Mother" as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection." Silence is maintained inside the Matrimandir to ensure the tranquility of the space and entire area surrounding the Matrimandir is called peace area. Inside the Matrimandir, a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air-conditioned chamber of polished white marble referred to as "a place to find one's consciousness." The surface of the dome has 56 kg of Gold, which was sandwiched between as thin sheets. At its centre is a 70 cm crystal ball in a gold mount, which glows with a single ray of sunlight that is directed on the globe from the top of the structure. According to Mother, this represents "a symbol of future realization."
Matrimandir is equipped with a solar power plant and is surrounded by manicured gardens. When there is no sun or after the sunset, the sunray on the globe is replaced by a beam from a solar-powered light.
Radiating from this center are four "zones" of the City Area: the "Residential Zone", "Industrial Zone", "Cultural (& Educational) Zone" and "International Zone". Around the City or the urban area, lies a Green Belt, which is an environment research and resource area and includes farms and foretastes, a botanical garden, seed bank, medicinal and herbal plants, water catchment bunds, and some communities.
To see the Matri mandir from inside one had to book from appointment from days ago. However we were  not aware of the same and we couldn't visit the Matrimandir. However, there is a view point to see it from where we saw the Matri Mandir. From the information center of Auroville, busses are available to go to the view point. The place also can be reached by walk. The view point is situated at around 2 km distance from the Aurovilla.

Matri Mandir and way to Matri Mandir from Aurovilla

Auro Beach or Aurovilla Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Pondicherry. I was told this is the best beach but I kind of didn’t like this place. There are many hotels and huts available near this beach. Anyone who wants to stay at a walking distance from beach, hotels near Auro beach are best for them,

Auro Beach

C.S. Perrotet established Botanical Gardens, a beautiful tourist attraction in Pondicherry in 1826. During earlier times, the garden used to enclose a good collection of exotic and rare plants but now due to lack of maintenance there is nothing much to see and frankly speaking, I felt visiting this place is purely waste of time.
The botanical garden houses an aquarium. Aquarium displays many sea living organisms, including a variety of fish flora. It also exhibits various methods of fishing adopted in coastal areas.
Entry fee for botanical garden is Rs 5/- per head and camera is Rs 10/.

Fossil of a tree @ Botanical Garden

Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the best churches I have ever visited. Sacred Heart Church situated on the south boulevard of Pondicherry is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic church. Construction of the church was completed in 1902. In recent years, it has become one of the famous pilgrimage spots for Christians.
This 100 years-old historical church is 50 mts. long 48 mts. wide and 18 mts. high with Latin rite cross shape in arial view is in Gothic style. 24 main columns hold the structure. The biblical verse from 2 Chronicles 7:16 is written above the entrance door in Latin "sanctificavi locum istum, ut sit nomen meum ibi" which means "I have consecrated this house, that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there forever." Inside the church, we can see glass pictures of 28 saints who were related to the devotion of Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This 100-year-old church has been led by twenty parish priests. The Grotto for Our Lady of Lourdes, Parish Hall, Adoration chapel and the new parish community hall were some of the development of this church in the last 50 years. After 2005, that is after the arrival of the present Parish Priest Rev.Fr.Thomas, the church has been fully renovated both in and out.
Statues for the four evangelists have been erected beneath which four lamp posts describing the life of four evangelists and the inviting Jesus, and the twelve apostles on the front facade have also been erected. The Grotto for Sacred Heart of Jesus facing the City Railway Station are new additions, and church has been illuminated in and out with chandeliers, focus and flood lights.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church

After visiting all this places we decided to take lunch and went into a pizza shop called Café Xtasi. The pizzas were just awesome here and double in size than the normal Regular Pizzas.

Pizza @ Cafe Xtasi

Post lunch we visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on Rue de la Marine, is a spiritual community established by Sri Aurobindo on the 24 November 1926 (Siddhi Day). At the time, there were few disciples staying with Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo subsequently decided to withdraw from public view for continuing his spiritual work and handed over the responsibility of the Sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) and the Ashram to his spiritual collaborator The Mother, Mirra Alfassa. The Ashram till date houses a library with biographies, photographs of Shri Aurobindo, The Mother, and many other spiritual books.
The samadhi or the place where the mortal remains of Aurobindo and The Mother are kept in the central courtyard under a frangipani tree and are covered daily with flowers and surrounded by supplicating devotees.
The ashram is open to all from 8 am - 12 noon and again from 2 pm - 6 pm. Children under 3 years old are not allowed into the ashram.
There is no entry fee, and photography is not allowed inside the ashram.

Entrance of the Ashram

Samadhi of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother, Picture Courtesy: Google Image

The Pondicherry Museum housing some of the superb collection of sculpture is located in the Bharathi Park. This museum has an excellent gallery with sculptures and has the remains of archaeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement. One can go through the history and legendary French colonial details in the section of the museum.
 There is also a very good collection of snail shells brought from the Pondicherry region. Bronze sculptures of god and goddess, a wide gathering of temple lamps, handicrafts and art are also here. Some specimens of Chola and Pallava art from Pondicherry and Karaikal are displayed in the sculpture gallery.

Pondicherry Museum

The Place Du Gouvernement is a brilliant example of town planning in Pondicherry. Comprising the 18th century Palais Du Gouvernement-now the Raj Nivas (not open to the public)-and the old tribunals-now housing the Legislative Assembly-along with a neat three-sided line-up of other handsome buildings. At the centre, surrounded by a well-tended garden, stands the Water Monument, sculpted to commemorate the introduction of good drinking water for the population. Some exquisitely carved monolithic pillars, brought to Pondicherry from the Gingee Fort after its capture in 1751, adorn the place.

Raj Niwas

After visiting we came back to our hotel. In the evening again we went to Gandhi Beach and spent some time there but the picture of the beach in morning and the same in evening are just poll apart. The beach was fully crowded and was as dirty as people can make it.

Day 3: We went to beach again for seeing sun rise or to tell the truth is to erase the worst picture about the beach we saw last evening. At an end of the beach, there is fishing harbor, we visited the place too.

Fishing Harbor

Then we had our breakfast in the famous Café Casa in the Gandhi Beach and returned to our hotel. Later in the day we visited Paradise Beach again and spent half the day in sea. It was a real fun. But all fun come to an end and so was our trip.
After taking bath in the sea, we took bath in the bathrooms available in the beach, though I hardly found any difference in the sea water and in the bathroom water. We came back to main land of Pondicherry, took our lunch and started for Bangalore around 4:00 pm.