A tale of french heritage – things to do in pondicherry!!
Our second day began with a trip to all the renowned churches in Pondicherry. We had our breakfast at the restaurant and started early. As we’d already been to Pondicherry with friends, we planned to visit only a few attractions. So, we skipped Auroville and a few beaches.
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Villianur:
The first stop was at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Villianur also called Villianur Madha. It’s approximately 13 km and reached in thirty minutes’ drive from our stay.
It is one of the oldest churches in Pondicherry with a history dating back to 1867. After taking the blessings of Villianur Madha, we started to explore a few other churches in Pondicherry.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pondicherry:
Then, we went to The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus church in South Boulevard. It’s situated at a distance of 10 km from Villianur main road. A hundred-year-old edifice painted in red and white hue, beautifully ornated in Gothic style. Stained-glass paintings and the decorated altar speak to the legacy of Romanesque and Gothic monumental art. After a while, we moved to Immaculate Conception Cathedral which is less than 2 KM.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry:
As we entered Immaculate Conception Cathedral, statue of Christ the King shining in golden color gave us a warm welcome. The architecture of the church in white and golden hue reminds me of Our Lady of Light Church, Chennai (also called Luz Church). Immaculate Conception Cathedral is yet another oldest church in Pondicherry. And, the beautiful Frescoes in one half of the cupola are so impressive.
French Colony:
We started to explore the renowned and most-colorful houses in the French colony.
The French colony hosts houses in French Colonial architecture in vibrant yellow and white hues. The serenity of the place and splendidly structured houses attracts a lot of photography enthusiasts. After clicking a few pictures, we entered the Handicraft Exhibition Hall. We did a little shopping and headed to the French War Memorial which is situated across the Promenade Beach opposite the Gandhi Statue.
It’s a war memorial honoring soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. Just take a glimpse from outside and move on! There’s nothing much! You could easily take a look at places like the French War memorial, the Old Lighthouse, the Gandhi Statue as you stroll down along the Promenade beach.
At the Promenade beach, keep walking. You’ll exit a stretch at the statue of Marquis Dupleix where you’ll find an abandoned bridge. An hour flew by while we basked in the sunlight. We returned to our stay around 12:30 PM as Lazz wanted to spend some time swimming in the pool and rest a while before we started.
We started our return journey around 3 PM and reached home around 6 PM. The bike ride was so exciting!
Take a look at our first day road trip to Pondicherry .. 🙂
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With luv,
