Union Territory of Puducherry Hotels India

Puducherry is a union territory in southern India and until recently was known as Pondicherry. The capital city of this area is also called Puducherry. The territory consists of four coastal regions; Puducherry and Karakai on the east coast in Tamil Nadu, Mahe in Kerala on the West Coast and Yanam in Andra Pradesh on the Bay of Bengal. The city of Puducherry has a French colonial past and the layout reflects this, with both a French section and a Tamil section, each with its own distinctive architecture. In the French section, the colonial buildings are rather grand, often with columns, and are usually painted pale colours such as cream or pink.

In the Tamil section, the buildings are more colourful in reds, greens and browns, and they also tend to be lower structures with porches and verandahs. Although Puducherry is clearly an Indian city, it has a distinct French feel to it, which gives it a unique quality. For yoga devotees, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry is one of the most well known ashrams in India and also famous worldwide, combining traditional yoga with more scientific principles.

Auroville, around 5 miles north of Puducherry, is a planned city built in 1968 which was designed to promote and create human harmony, peace and creativity. The Matrimandir, a large golden sphere in the centre of the town, is a spiritual place to help one find inner peace, and is surrounded by a peace area of twelve gardens. Around one hundred miles south of the city of Puducherry is Karaikal, a coastal fishing town which was sadly affected by the 2004 tsumani.

It is known for the many temples including the only one in India devoted to Lord Saturn, or Lord Saneeswara at Thirunallar. Yanam is further up the coast on the Bay of Bengal and, like the rest of the union territory, has a French colonial heritage. The 3-day Fete du Pondicherry is held here, which is an annual cultural festival and widely celebrated.

There are many important temples near Yanam, where several different religions are respected, including Padagaya Temple, Annavaram Temple and Draksharamam Temple. Mahe is on the other side of southern India, surrounded by the state of Kerala and is known for its Water Sports Complex at Manjakkal. Probably the best time to visit is between December and February, avoiding the worst of the heat and the monsoon rains.