White Town in Pondicherry – A Photo Walk

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  • Post last modified:July 10, 2021
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White Town is the former French residential area in Pondicherry. Wide streets, old colonial buildings, French street names – everything is carrying an essence of the century-old history of the town.

Those old residential houses and mansions are now converted into public offices, libraries, heritage hotels, vintage cafes, upscale shops, and boutiques.

The glitter and glamour of the colonial era are long gone, but history is still preserved aesthetically. This is a collection of my best photos from the photo walk in White Town in Pondicherry.

Read More: My travelogue on Pondicherry – Pondicherry in November Rain

An image from White Town in Pondicherry. Use of vibrant colors to paint the exterior of the buildings make them a feat for the eyes.
Use of vibrant colours to paint the colonial buildings make them picture perfect
Pondicherry has still a community of French people residing in the old colonial buildings in White Town. So you will see abundant use of French language in every corner of White Town.
White Town in Pondicherry still retains its French connection
An image from White Town in Pondicherry where a small manicured garden is an essential part of every house.
Every building has a small garden in its courtyard
A image of the exterior of an old building with contrasting sunshades and old street lampin front of it.
Contrasting sun-shades pop out from the soothing exterior

The Pondicherry town was built on a “grid-plan” system. The canal that runs parallel to the seashore was used to demarcate the boundary between “White Town” and “Native Town”.

The White Town is the upfront area in between the shoreline and the canal. All the rues and avenues in this part of the town still bear a French name connected to its past.

Read more: 10 Best Hotels In The White Town Of Pondicherry That You Can Book On Your Next Trip

Wide, low traffic streets what make White Town in Pondicherry a perfect place for a photo walk.
Wide, low-traffic streets make White Town in Pondicherry a perfect place for a photo walk
Image of clean street in White Town in Pondicherry.
You can sense a photography opportunity in every corner of the town
Image of waste collection cart in street of Pondicherry.
Clean and green White Town in Pondicherry
Image of Eglise de notre Dame des Anges from outside in White Town in Pondicherry.
Eglise de notre Dame des Anges Church, Pondicherry
Image of a house beside Promenade named as the famous Le Cafe in White Town in Pondicherry.
Le Cafe, the Cafe is just opposite of this house
Image of a heritage hotel in White town, Pondicherry
Heritage Hotel, White Town, Pondicherry
Image of rickshaw in White Town, Pondicherry
A tour of White Town in a rickshaw is popular among tourists

The elegant architecture of all French buildings in White Town is quite captivating – facades decorated with vertical pilasters, large arched doors, arched windows with vertical grills and overhanging balconies.

I loved the predominant use of soothing colours like yellow, peach and white to paint most French buildings.

Image of a Tamil woman in front of a heritage building in White Town in Pondicherry.
Today’s White Town is an amalgamation of Tamil and French Culture
Image of a old two storied building in White Town in Pondicherry.
Hanging balcony is common in most French buildings
Image of two riders in front of a colourful exterior of an old French building in Pondicherry.
A rainy day in White Town in Pondicherry
Image of a lady riding a bicycle in White Town in Pondicherry. Bicycle is a common mode of transport inside Pondicherry.
A bicycle rider in Pondicherry
Image of fallen yellow flowers in front of a yellow house in White Town in Pondicherry
Yellow Slice of Life
Image of old garage door of a French building in White Town in Pondicherry.
The Lone Watcher
An image of an auto-rickshaw which is the commonest mode of public transport in White Town in Pondicherry.
Auto Rickshaw is the commonest mode of public transport in Pondicherry

Although White Town has changed its demographics and socio-cultural pattern in the post-independence period, it still retains the aura and grandeur of its colonial period.

My Camera Gear

  • Camera: Canon 800D
  • Lens: Canon EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM
  • External Flash: Canon Speedlite 430 EX III-RT
  • Tripod: Vanguard MAK S

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Book your trip: Resources

  1. Flight

    Use Skyscanner or Google Flights to book your flight.

  2. Accommodation

    Tripadvisor and Agoda are perfect for booking your hotel. If you want to stay in a hostel, then Hostelworld would greatly help you find one at your convenience.

  3. Travel Insurance

    World Nomads is perfect for travel insurance. You can get comprehensive protection from them. Let them take care of unexpected situations while you concentrate on your trip.

  4. Package Tour and Activities

    You can book a package tour from G-Adventures and Viator. They are a reputed company arranging small group tours and customising them per your requirements. You can also use Get Your Guide to book your private transport, city tours, heritage walks, food walks and other experiences like a cooking lesson or a Yoga session.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. You will be directed to another third-party website when you click those links. If you purchase anything via those links, I will earn a referral bonus without any extra cost to you.

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