Pondicherry District Place of Interest |
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| Karaikal Beach |
Sunrise-watchers can catch their magnificent view over the bay, with the pretty Arasalar river reaching out to the sea.Alternatively, you can canoe or Kayak in picture-book surroundings or have a round of beach volley ball. |
| Mahe Beach |
Twenty
two kms south of Kannur, on the northern strip of coastal Kerala lies
this bewitching beach strip. From Calicut, you will find this 75kms north
of the town, bordered by a luxuriant crop of tall palm and dotted with
numerous fishing hamlets. |
| Yanam River Cruise |
Yanam,
in coastal Andhra Pradesh, provides a different route to exhilaration.
As you enjoy a sunset cruise down the spectacular Goringa Godavari river
which winds through rich mangrove forests. |
| Churches |
The Eglise de Sacre Coeur de Jesus, situated on the south boulevard, stands out as an oriental specimen of Gothic splendour. It contains rare and beautiful stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ. The Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception Immaculate, on Cathedral Street, was first built in 1692. It took its present shape in 1791. The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, in Rue Dumas, is notable for its masonry-which uses the finest of limestone mixed with white of the egg-making for a texture identical to that of white marble. It is modeled on the Basilica at Lourdes, in southern France. |
Villiannur |
You can locate the architecturally fine sight of the Sri Gokilambal Thirukameswara Temple, 10kms from Pondicherry. Thousands of devotees converge here for a ten-day annual festival (Brahmotsavam), held during May-June along with the appearance of the full moon. The massive 15m tall temple chariot, basking in finery, is taken out on a procession by a devout crowd. It's a remarkable sight. Besides, the breath-taking Ousteri lake nearby, spread over 10 hectaresm, is home to rare varieties of birds. |
| Thirunallur Temple |
Thirunallar is 5kms west of Karaikal. The sanctum sanctorum of Lord Dharbaraneswara Temple holds Siva as the main deity. However, its shrine dedicated to Saneeswaran (Saturn) which figures in the story of Nala-Damayanti; makes this the most famous Saturn temple in India. The blessings of Saturn are said to be overwhelming, while its wrath causes great misery. The temple hosts a mammoth festival (Shanti peyarchi), each time Saturn moves from one sign of the Zodaic to another. |
| The Varadaraja Temple |
The
Varadaraja Temple (12the century) is the most important Vishnu temple
in town, located just west of Gandhi Road, off Tyagaraja Street. Here,
Narasimha sits behind Venkatachalapathy, the main deity. |
| Vedapureswarar Temple |
This
18th century Siva Shrine in Pondicherry houses stone inscriptions and
a swayambhulinga. Recently renovated, the gopuram (tower) is brilliantly
colourful. |
| Karaikal Ammaiyur Temple |
Legend
says that Lord Siva disguised himself as an ascetic, seeking alms from
a lady called Punithavarthi living in Karaikal. Who later, as Karaika
Ammaiyar, was destined to find an esteemed place among his 63 saints.
An image of this lady saint is housed in a small and beautiful temple
erected right where she lived. |
| Masthan Saheb Darga |
Dedicated
to Masthan Saheb Syed Dawood Buhari, a Sufi saint who came to Karaikal
from Buhara two centuries ago. He died aged 120, in 1829. Various miracles
are attributed to him. The over-170-year-old Kandhuri Festival (November)
is celebrated in his commemoration. It starts with the hoisting of a huge
flag on a pole-reminiscent of a ship and a sea-faring tradition. And winds
up, 10 days later with a spectacle of floats lit with electric colours. |
| Manakkula Vinayakar Temple |
Located
right behind the Raj Nivas in Pondicherry town, this Ganesha temple has
an interesting aside. A neighbouring Frenchman finding the place of worship
of nuisance, made several futile attempts to do away with the deity. Still,
it kept reappearing. Convinced, he turned an active believer. |
| The Statue of Dupleix |
The statue is Pondicherry's tribute to Francois Dupleix whose able governorship came to an end in 1754. However, French recognition came about a century later, when, in 1870, they paid homage by commissioning two statues-one in France and the other in Pondicherry. The 2.88 m tall structure was erected over six carved ornamental granite pillars at the Place du Republique. It now stands restationed overlooking a children's park at the southern end of a promenade, now named Goubert Avenue. |
| Place Du Gourvernement |
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. |
| 19th Century Light House |
The
early sea-farers to Pondicherry were guided by a beacon kept burning on
the Red Hills (Gorimedu), about 5kms west of the town. The now-abandoned
light house standing on the edge of the sea near the Place Du Gouvernement
was lighted for the first time on I July, 1836. The light was placed upon
a masonry tower, 29m above the seal level and was visible upto a distance
of 29kms into the sea. In 1931, the fixed light was replaced by a revolving
lantern. It fell into disuse with the commissioning of the new light house
in 1979. |
| French War Memorial |
No
visit to Pondicherry is complete without a free-wheeling stroll down the
peaceful promenade-Goubert Avenue ('Beach Road', locally speaking). Where
you will find this elegant tribute to the uniform. It gets prettily illuminated
during a solemn ceremony every 14 July, Bastille Day. |
| The Statue of John of Arc |
A
lasting triumphant image of the heroic French damsel Jeanne d' Arc, is
frozen in marble, within the garden laid out in front of L'Eglise de Notre
Dame des Anges. |
| Aurbindo Ashram |
Sri Aurobindo began the practice of Yoga in 1905 and 5 years later moved to Pondy from Bengal. And during his 40 years here, he worked out a new system of mind development which he called Integral Yoga. Madame Mirra Richard, a French painter-sculptor who had followed the same path on her own, joined him later. She is now known as the Mother. Together, in1926, they founded an ashram where his belief -"All life is Yoga"- could be put into practice. At night time, today, Pondicherrians who believe in Sri Aurobindo's way of life, wind their way ashramward. Inside, the lights throw a welcome radiance. Over it all, the flower-decked samadhi presides. Men and women meditate with their eyes fixed on the marble samadhi. Here silence is peace, and flowers and incense are ways to lead the mind away from work a day shackles. By day, the ashram bustles with silent queues to see Aurobindo's room for meditation or blessings. |
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