The delightful quaint territory of Pondicherry houses
many tourist attractions such as the Botanical Gardens that were opened
in 1826 and houses a variety of rare and exotic plants and an aquarium.
One can also see local methods of coastal fishing here. The Government
Park is a well-planned one with lawns, flowerbeds and fountains situated
in front of the Raj Niwas, the residence of the Lieutenant Governor. It
is said that the park is located at the site of French Fort Louis, which
was destroyed in 1761 by the British. Park Monument or Aayi Mandapam
standing at its center is built in Greco-Roman architecture during the
reign of Napoleon III-Emperor of France. This monument has an
interesting story attached to it. Aayi, a 16th century courtesan felt
guilty when a passing king saw the candle-lit residence and mistook it
for a holy place and wandered to her place.His anger and frustration at his gross judgment so touched the heart of the lady that she razed down her home and replaced it with a reservoir. Some 300 years later, it served to quench the thirst of Napoleon's men. When Napoleon heard of the story, he decided to built a monument as a tribute to Aayi. The 2.88m tall Statue of Dupleix was erected in 1854 the honor of Francois Dupleix, an able governor whose rule ended in 1754, over six carved ornamental granite pillars. The 18th century Place Du Gourvernement is a brilliant example of town planning in Pondicherry and houses Raj Nivas and the old tribunals. Today it is home to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory too. Its highlights are the Water Monument commemorating the introduction of good drinking water for the population and exquisitely carved monolithic pillars brought from the Gingee Fort in 1751.
The 19th Century Light House was once a guide to the early seafarers to Pondicherry atop the Red Hills (Gorimedu), which was illuminated for the first time on I July 1836. It is no longer in use since the commissioning of the new lighthouse in 1979. French War Memorial, Goubert Avenue, often referred to as the 'Beach Road' by the local people, is an elegant tribute to the uniform and gets prettily illuminated annually during a solemn ceremony on Bastille Day that falls on 14th of July. The statue of kindly and heroic John of Arc in marble is laid out in front of L'Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges. Sri Aurobindo and Mother established one of the highly popular tourist attractions, Aurbindo Ashram in 1926. During his 40-years in Pondy, Sri Aurobindo who began the practice of Yoga in 1905 developed a new system of mind development and named it as Integral Yoga. Madame Mirra Richard, a French painter-sculptor, popularly known as 'Mother' here, joined him later. It highlights the flower-decked marble 'samadhi' and men and women meditate with their eyes fixed on it. The pin-drop silence here offers peace and soothes our nerves.
4 km from Pondicherry, Ariyankuppam or Arikamedu is known for the archeological excavations revealing local trade with Romans as early as 2nd century BC and also some of the ancient Roman settlements. One can also see the ruins of an 18th century French Jesuit Mission House here abandoned in 1783. The French Cemetery at Karaikal has some curious headstones with catchy inscriptions along with an old, tiny chapel. Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion was once home to Ananda Ranga Pillai, the celebrated official of Dupleix, the then governor of Pondicherry during the times when the French rule was at its zenith. Pillai's diaries have been a good source of information on 18th century French India and his mansion is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the west side. Its architecture represents a curious blend of French and Indian styles.
