Now Puducherry, known as Pondy. If you're looking for a little bit of French charm in India this small Union Territory bounded by Tamil Nadu was a part of France until1954 and the influences are still visible in the old French quarter with its tree lined streets, colonial style houses and boutique shops.

It's also home to the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, the experimental 'utopian' city of Auroville.

Also known as the Plage Paradiso, Paradise Beach is situated in Chunnambar, close to Pondicherry town. Adorned with the golden sand, this famous and highly sought after beach is always swaying with cold sea breeze. This is a little isolated beach, and to reach here you have to take a ferry across the backwaters, which takes around 20-30 minutes. Part of the fun in reaching the beach is actually the beautiful ferry from the boat house - the backwaters on the way to the beach are really green and have thick mangrove forests. Specially after the monsoons, the backwaters are fresh an green. You can spot a lot of birds while on the ride - and photography enthusiasts would relish the opportunity to get some great photos here.

The sand of the paradise beach is extremely soft and grainy - and a walk along the entire beach is amazing. However, the currents in the water are strong, so it is advisable to not go deep in the water. There are a few shacks along the main entry to the beach, and you can get fresh coconut water and some simple snacks - don't expect any fancy street food though.Paradise beach is a great spot to reach early morning and get a view of the sunrise on the eastern coast. You can spend hours sitting on the beach and enjoying the waves. A variety of water sport facilities are available here as well - enthusiastic tourists can try a hand at fishing as fishing rods and nets are easily available on rent.

Conceived as the 'Universal Town', the Auroville Ashram is an experimental township - the idea is to create a city where people from across the world of all cultures and traditions come and live together in peace. Started by the Maa, a disciple of Shri Aurobindo in 1960s - the project was supported by the Govt. of India, and the UNESCO passed a resolution in 1966 commending this as "a project of importance to the future of humanity". The town was officially inaugurated in 1968.

The architecture of the city is as interesting as the concept. The city is planned in a circle of radius 1.25kms, and the center of the city is the famous Matrimandir along with the gardens surrounding it. Just outside this are the industrial zone, the cultural zone, the peace zone, and the residential zone. Outside this, the entire city is surrounded by a "green belt" - this is supposed to act as a barrier against urban encroachment, a wildlife habitat, and sources of food/timber/etc. This entire area was created out of a wasteland, demonstrating the ability to conserve nature while developing a town. The main attraction here is the "Matrimandir" - you can watch an introductory video about the concept of the city, and sit here in silence to concentrate. With water pooling in from different sides, the sound of the water and cool breeze which always flows, provides a perfect atmosphere for meditation. The mandir is an architectural masterpiece with a 30m high globe with a lotus-shaped foundation urn. The entry is free of costs, and you can only buy the tickets in person at the venue, not online. The walk from the entry gates to the center takes around 10-12 minutes.

With a unique, peaceful coastal beauty to it, Pondicherry is quickly becoming every beach lovers' favourite hideout. A number of water sports options along its white sandy beaches are another reason for travellers to love Pondy, as it is lovingly known.With its offerings of not only multiple water sports activities like scuba diving, parasailing, banana boat rides etc, but also its unique cultural traits, excellent food varieties and innumerable sightseeing options, Pondicherry is a true delight to travelers who long for an off-beat travel experience

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, situated on the south boulevard of Pondicherry in Puducherry, India, 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.[1] In recent years it has become one of the famous pilgrimage spots for Christians.

Promenade Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach") is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Puducherry, India, along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starts from War Memorial and end at Dupleix Park on the Goubert Avenue.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the cathedral mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in the Union territory of Puducherry. It is also known as "Samba Kovil", which is a phonetic corruption of "Saint Paul's Kovil" where "Kovil" means church.