Puducherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Puducherry, Karaikal and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea. Puducherry and Karaikal are by far the larger ones and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala respectively. The territory has a total area of 492 km²: Puducherry (city) 293 km², Karaikal 160 km², Mahé 9 km² and Yanam 30 km². It has 900,000 inhabitants (2001).

French influence

A remarkable degree of French influence in Puducherry exists to this date. Puducherry was designed based on the French (however originally Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The entire town is divided into 2 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 in Puducherry. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and houses with large doors and grills

Places to visit

• Puducherry Beach
• Auroville
• Aurobindo Ashram
• Chunnambar Boat House
• Bharathi Park
• Museum
• Romain Rolland Library
• Botanical Garden
• Anglo-French Textile Mills
• Pondicherry Museum
• Paradise beach
• Manakular Vinayagar Temple
• Sithanandhar Temple
• Vannia Perumal Temple

Places of worship

• Manakula Vinayagar Temple
• Kamakshi Amman Temple
• Navagraha Temple (15 ft high Navagrahas)
• Panchavatee
• Sri Prithyingara Devi Temple
• Saneeswaran Temple, Thirunallar (Navagraha Sthalam for Saneeswaran – 5 km west of Karaikal)
• Varadaraja Perumal Temple
• Vedapureeswarar Temple
• Immaculate Conception Cathedral
• Sacred Heart Church
• Jumma Masjid
• Irumbai Maahaleswarar Temple (Special: Lord Shiva came from the Broken Lingam)
• Sengazhuneer Amman Temple at Veerampattinam (oldest temple near Ariyankuppam)
• Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Villianur (8 km from Puducherrry)

Beaches

Puducherry has four main beaches which are very popular with tourists and locals alike.They are Promenade beach, Paradise beach, Serinity beach and Auroville beach.
Promenade beach in PuducherryPromenade beach is the most popular beach in Puducherry. A 1.5 km long road (Beach road or Goubert Avenue) runs parallel to the beach. The whole city is in walking distance from the beach. On the sea front are several landmarks such as the War Memorial, the Statue of Joan of Arc, the Heritage Town hall, the Statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Dupleix(Joseph François Dupleix) statue, the Old Light House, the Old Customs House etc. The tourist information centre is situated in the heritage building facing the sea.Paradise beach is located 8 km from the town, along the Puducherry-Cuddalore Highway. This beach can be accessed from the Chunnambar Resort. Flanked by a quiet flowing creek on one side, the beach can only be accessed by boat.Auroville beach is close to Auroville. It is right off the East Coast Road, opposite the road leading to Auroville.Located around 12 km from the main puducherry town, its shallow waters and small waves make it a popular place for swimming.Serenity beach is a ten minute drive to the north of the town.

Gardens & Parks

Botanical GardenThe Botanical Garden is located south of the New Bus Stand. The gate leading to the garden is reminiscent of French architecture and it stands out from its immediate surroundings because it is in the middle of the old Tamil town. The Botanical Gardens were laid out in 1826 in the ornate French style, with pruned trees, flower beds and gravel lined paths and fountains. Perrottet was largely responsible for transforming the place into a botanical garden in 1831. The French introduced many exotic plants from all over the world. The gardens also have a musical fountain which is active over the weekends, with two shows in the evening.
[edit] Ousteri Wetland and National ParkOusteri Lake is located towards north at a distance of 10 km from Puducherry town (Puducherry– Villupuram road). The wetland covers an area of about 390 ha (lies in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) with a wide range of aquatic species and is mainly a bird sanctuary. The vegetation ranges from small herbs to trees, which supports migratory avifauna as well as native birds during summer and winter. Government of Puducherry proposing to setup a Ousteri National Park in the region acquiring lands from neighbouring villages.Bharathi Park
Bharati Park (Government Park) in PuducherryThe Government Park or Bharati Park is in the green centre of the Town. The Aayi Mandapam is a famous monument which lies at the center of the Bharati Park. The Government Park in Pondicherry is aptly located in the central region of the old colonial town. The significance of this park is derived from the fact that it is surrounded by some of the most important government buildings like the Lt. Governor's Palace, the Legislative Assembly, Government Hospital, Ashram Dining Room, the Cercle de Pondichery private club, and the old Hotel Qualité.