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| Notre Dame des Anges Church Puducherry, Union Territory |
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| Goubert Market, Puducherry |
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| Old Light House, Puducherry |
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| Promenade Beach, Puducherry |
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| Gandhi Statute, Puducherry |
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| French War Memorial, Puducherry |
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| Statute of Dupleix Puducherry, Union Territory |
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| French Quarter, Puducherry, Union Territory |
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| Arulmigu Manakula Vinayar Devasthanam Temple, Puducherry |
Day 10 Saturday Nov 23 2024 (Day 1- Puducherry, Union Territory) - our sleeper bus via Salem arrived in Puducherry in the early morning (06.00) & upon arrival, we left our luggage in hotel to start of our familiarization visit (1st impression counts) in Puducherry, a French colonial city & voted as the 2nd Best Travel Destination in 2025 by Lonely Planet !
1) Light Refreshment after mid-night, Salem - enjoying a cup of Indian tea (chai) & a snack in a local restaurant in front of a By Pass bus stop besides a main trunk road heading to Puducherry / Chennai direction.
2) Boarding a mid-night sleeper bus (Rm51) at 13.30 from a By Pass, Salem > Puducherry arriving 06.00.
3) Sleeper bus from Salem > Puducherry (218km) - badly needed a sleep boarding this odd hour bus ride !
4) Arriving in a bus stop in Puducherry & took a auto rickshaw to Hotel Coramandal Heritage in downtown Puducherry.
5) Hotel Accommodation (Puducherry) - my 3 nights stay in Hotel Coramandal Heritage, room tariif Rs1750 = Rm94 = US$21.50 twin sharing, 2 single beds + free breakfast.
6) The start of my morning walk in downtown Puducherry to The Promenade Beach area.
7) Goulbert Market, 131, Big Market, Puducherry, Union Territory - visited this oldest market 4-5 times in my 3 days stay in Puducherry to buy fresh produce, chicken fillets & eggs from a nearby butcher shop for our own cooked dinner meals, enjoyed very much this wet market visit especially during the morning busy hours !
8) Morning stroll along a main road in downtown Puducherry
9) Early morning breakfast (dosa, idly, vada + chai Rs70 = Rm3.80) in a food stall nearby Hotel Coramandal Heritage, Puducherry
10) A stylish auto rickshaw in downtown Puducherry !
11) India Post, Puducherry, Union Territory
12) Bharathi Park, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - a people's park, nice place to rest & relax, passed by this park numerous time in my 3 days stay in Puducherry !
13) Governor of Puducherry's Residence, Puducherry, Union Territory.
14) Romain Rolland Library, Goubert Avenue, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - founded in 1827 as the Bibliotheque Publique, one of the oldest libraries in India.
15) Promenade Hotel, Goubert Avenue, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory
16) Promenade Beach / Rock Beach, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - the most popular beach in Puducherry, a 1.2km long road runs parallel along the beach which starts from War Memorial & end at Duplex Park on the Goubert Avenue.
17) Old Light House, Puducherry, Union Territory
18) Gandhi Statute, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - 4m high, surrounded by 8 magnificient granite pillars which were brought from Gingee, a fort some 70km from Puducherry, there is a tunnel below the Gandhi Statute that leads all the way to Gingee, this is the 3rd biggest Mahatma Gandhi statute.
19) Douane Customs, Dumas Street, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - a 18th century historical landmark building of Puducherry for the memories of the old French colonial rule (300 years) in India, former Customs office during the French period, the front of this building has a signboard GST Bhavan ie Office of the Commissioner of GST & Central Excise
20) French War Memorial, Goubert Avenue, Puducherry, Union Territory - dedicated to residents of French India who died for the country during the First World War, located opposite the Gandhi statute.
21) Tourist Information Desk, The Promenade, Puducherry, Union Territory
22) Tribute Hall & Nehru Statute, Beach Road, Puducherry, Union Territory - Wall of Sacrifice, a salute to Freedom Fighters.
24) Baker Street in Pondicherry - a concept store which offers traditional French food ie pastries, organic bread, baguette, French delicacies etc; appreciate the sea with tasty delicacies !
25) Notre Dame des Anges Church (1855), Surcouf street, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - Cathodic church built in 1855 with vaulted ceilings, colorful stained glass & a pink facade.
26) Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Goubert Avenue, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - a unit of the Sri Aurobindo Udyog Trust, offering a range of printing services, Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community located in Puducherry, the ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he withdrew from politics & settled in Pondicherry in 1910.
27) D.R Ambedkar Manimandapam, Beach Road, Puducherry, Union Territory - built in the memory of the Indian revolutionist & political leader, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, born in a poor untouchable family & spent all his life fighting the discrimination of the caste system in India.
28) Continuing our walk from The Promenade Beach towards the south end of Sea-side Promenade.
29) Tribunal Superier d'Appel, Puducherry, Union Territory - an old French Civil & Administrative Courts, abolished from The Pondicherry Civil Court Act 1960.
30) A guided sketch Map of Pondicherry besides an old Puducherry Police sentry post !
31) Hotel de Ville, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - the French influence in Puducherry has left the city with a wealth of historic buildings with typical French architecture, the Mirie (Hotel de Ville) is one such building located on rue Mahe de Labourdonnais in the French Quarter.
32) The Retreat, Goubert Avenue, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - a family guest house near Puducherry Rock Beach facing the Bay of Bengal & the surrounding.
33) Villa Cavi, St Martin Street, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - a 3 star hotel small boutique hotel near Rock Beach.
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34) Rock Beach, Laporte Street, MG Road Area, Puducherry, Union Territory - coastal stretch with a seawall & a palm tree-lined promenade, popular for watching sunrise !
35) Foyer Du Soldat, Rue Law de Lauriston, Puducherry, Union Territory - a colonial building featuring yellow & white walls & a French flag on top that serves as a legion hall for retired French soldiers.
36) Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar, White Town - a Ganesha temple, dedicated to the god Ganesa, a popular pilgrimage site & tourist attraction in Puducherry, the temple is of considerable antiquity & predates French occupation of the territory.
35) Moving on with our walkabout in downtown Puducherry - stray walking & surprises at times especially seeing some attractive historic places & small family businesses in French & Tamil Quarter !
36) Bharathi Park & the surrounding
37) Craft Bazaar, Puducherry, Union Territory
38) Police HQ, Puducherry, Union Territory
39) Notre Dame des Agnes Church (1855), Surcouf Street, White Town, Puducherry, Union Territory - catholic church built in 1855 with vaulted ceilings, colorful stained glass & a pink facade.
40) Heritage Walk (French Quarter & Tamil Quarter) - Peaceful Puducherry Give Time A Break; my evening walk to the French & Tamil Quarter in Puducherry; the French Quarter is through the primary 4 streets ie Rue Dumas, Rue Roman Rolland, Rue Suffren & Ru La Bourddonnas; the Tamil Quarter is central around Vysial street.
41) Statute of Dupleix, White House, Puducherry, Union Territory - commissioned in 1870, this 2.88 meter high statute was established to honour Francois Dupleix who governed Pondicherry till 1754, the statute stands at the southern end of the park & constructed over beautiful granite column.
42) Southern seaside of The Promenade towards the Old Port Pier & New Light House area
43) Exiting the Old Port Pier to French Quarter / White Town / Hotel - thus ended our three hours of evening walk for two Johnnie Walker Gold Labels / Travellers from Malaysia - a great day for both of us seeing a greater Puducherry or colonial Pondicherry (inheriting a French influence) with our own "microscopic" lens be it in the cultural, natural landscape, historical & food arena ! Seeing is believing why Puducherry has been chosen as the 2nd Best Travel Destination in 2025 by Lonely Planet ! Pondicherry really deserves it with pride & honor !
