Heritage Tourism in Pondicherry

Being one of the seven Union Territories of India, Pondicherry is also known as Puducherry that has always been successful in attracting thousands of tourists for its history and heritage. Even though the destination is tucked away on the south-east coastline of India, it promises and offers the tourists all that can satiate one’s soul.  Despite being a relatively small territory, the tourists can make the most out of their trip to Pondicherry by getting indulged into a heritage walk. Dating back to as far as 200 B.C. the rich heritage of Pondicherry has a French Flavour. Reason being, it was the 17th century when the French first arrived in Pondicherry. Since then the French influence can be seen all throughout the beautiful destination.

Visiting the place, tourists can witness how the road plan is built in typical French style. In the sense, one can witness a grid-like structure where streets meet each other at left angles. Not just this but the names of the streets clearly depicts the influence of French. One out of the other streets is the ‘Rue Damans’. Other than this, to explore the heritage of Pondicherry, tourists can take the Ashram Walk in the Aurobindo Ashram which plays a pivotal role in the socio, economic and spiritual framework of Puducherry. A walk in the Ashram will take the tourists through many grand buildings depicting the French lineage which include the Raj Nivas, French Institute. Furthermore, shopaholics can take delight in buying from shops that sell products manufactured by the different Ashram ancillaries. Some of them include Auroshikha, La Tienda, Auroshree and Vak Bookshop.

To make your heritage walk in Pondicherry a memorable one a walk on the Tamil Quarters will take the tourists to get an eye on the buildings that can be seen characterized by rows of tiled roofed buildings with continued walls. Visiting the place, one will come across the other older buildings as well which retain the Tamilian style. The sync of both the style of houses has resulted in a unique architectural identity which is called the 'Franco Tamil’. Some places in the Tamil Quarters of Pondicherry that needs to be covered include Easwaran Koil, Bharathi Museum, Calve Cottage, Sushilabai School, Rangapillai Mansion and more.

Other than this, tourists can even get an eye on the home decor in Pondicherry, you would find an amalgamation of the occident and the orient. In the sense, the paintings are found to be in golden frames, the beautiful chandeliers are made of the Belgian crystal, hand-painted silk panels and more. Last but definitely not the least, as the French relied on the local carpenters, so if you happen to come across the furniture in Pondicherry, you will see the unique “Franco-Pondicherrian” style of furniture.