Pondicherry in November Rain | A 3-Days Trip With Family

Nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November Rain
                                           Guns N' Roses

Pondicherry (a.k.a. Puducherry) is a destination that I was planning to visit for a long time. Colourful colonial buildings, beachfront boulevard and photogenic vintage cafes- these pictures of Pondicherry were long in my mind before we finally had our 3 days trip to this vibrant beach town.

It was the end of November. We made our first stop in Mahabalipuram for a day and then moved towards Pondicherry the next day. Our hotel booking was already made from Kolkata. So, I hired a cab from an online portal and started our journey from Chariot Beach Resort in Mahabalipuram.

The road was the same smooth ECR on which we already had travelled from Chennai to Mahabalipuram a day before. Now it’s time for the next 90 km road trip from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry.

After driving for a km from our resort, we reached ECR (East Coast Road). Apart from the initial drive for a few km, the road was not four-lane anymore, but the views were definitely more gorgeous.

The lush green fields soaked in the retreating monsoon rain, the overflowed water bodies on both sides, the quaint small Tamil townships in between and the occasional views of Bay of Bengal peeping through the tropical forest on the far left – made our journey a treat for the eyes.

But, unfortunately, the rolling monsoon cloud above us was already pointing to heavy rain forecast for the next few days.

Read More: One Day in Mahabalipuram – The Port City of Pallava Dynasty

Little About Pondicherry

Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is a Union Territory of India. The state of Tamilnadu surrounds it.

In 1674 the French East India Company set up a trading centre at Pondicherry, and this outpost eventually became the chief French settlement in India.

When the British gained control of India in the late eighteenth century, they allowed the French to retain their settlements in the country.

Thus, Pondicherry, Mahé, Yanam, Karaikal and Chandannagar remained a part of French India until 1954, when all these places became incorporated into the Indian Union.

Nowadays, Pondicherry is a popular tourist destination in south India. The oldest part of the town, called the White Town, still has many French colonial buildings, churches, cafes, and avenues that reflect its rich colonial history. That is why Pondicherry is also known as “Little France of India” among tourists.

Above all, it is the place of the first Aurobindo Ashram, founded by the freedom fighter and philosopher Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. The experimental township of Auroville is 8 km away from Pondicherry.

Day “0” / The Day We Reached Pondicherry

We reached Pondicherry after 2 hours of continuous drive on East Coast Road. Our stay was in Hotel La Maison, a cosy guesthouse in Bussy Street. And the best thing was the location of this place, just behind White Town and within 500 metres distance from Rock beach.

When we finished our late lunch, it was already 4:30 pm. So, we decided to go to the Promenade to spend our first evening in Pondicherry.

As we walked towards Rock Beach, we had to cross a canal first to enter White town, the first French Colony in India.

The initial glimpses of White town were awe-inspiring – one or two-storied old buildings with bright coloured facades, beautiful bougainvillaea trees coming over the boundary walls and the old street lamps beside the wide rues and avenues – creates an old-world charm instantly.

We spent an hour in Promenade, saw a gorgeous sunset in the Bay of Bengal and then went to the Gandhi Statue. Gandhi Statue is a prominent landmark in Promenade.

On its opposite side, there was the French War Memorial and the Lighthouse. Bharathi Park was also nearby. But, we did not go to the park as it was almost dark, rather head towards Le Cafe for some yummy evening snacks.

Promenade and Rock beach

The promenade is the road right beside the rock beach. It extends from Gandhi statue in the north to Dupleix park on Gouvert Avenue. Rock Beach, the beach alongside the Promenade, is a long 1.5 km stretch of shoreline covered by large rocks. Traffic on this road is restricted from 6 pm to 7 am. This is Pondicherry’s own little “Marine Drive”. 

Several heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as Children’s Park and Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governor’s Residence, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry.

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Le Cafe

The only seafront cafe in Pondicherry is the perfect hideout for tourists. Originally, Le Cafe was the port office when the railway operated from South Boulevard to the old Boulevard along the Beach Road.

In 1952, a strong cyclone destroyed the pier, which used to connect both the destinations. The strategic location and the unbeatable ambience make Le Cafe a popular food joint and a popular place for tourist interest in Pondicherry.

After visiting Le Cafe, we returned to our guesthouse. But, sadly, the famous November rain of Pondicherry already made its appearance while we were coming back to the hotel. So instead of going out, we had our dinner in the guesthouse and called it a day.

Day 1

Luckily for us, the rain had stopped after 8 in the morning. Though it was not a heavy downpour, the drizzle probably continued throughout last night.

We came out of our hotel after having a delicious south Indian breakfast with Idli, Dosa, Sambar, and Coconut Chutney; the sky was surprisingly clear, and the winter sunshine made us feel really energetic.

Again on that day, first, we went to the White town. When we turned the 2nd left after crossing the canal, we were on Suffren Street. Immediately after walking for another 50 meters, we saw the famous Cafe Des Arts on our left.

We saw a few teenagers already busy posing in front of the murals on the boundary wall of Cafe Des Arts for a perfect Instagram profile picture. Of course, we tried our poses too.

As we already had our breakfast, we planned to visit Cafe Des Arts the next morning for breakfast. The new Hope Cafe beside it also had a beautiful mural in front.

Finally, after a few more photo breaks in front of some other colourful old buildings, we reached the Promenade.

It was still a sunny morning, and the temperature was also on the higher side, considering the time of the year it was. There were only a few tourists like us roaming around beside Rock Beach.

We hired an auto-rickshaw from Promenade for a sightseeing tour of the Pondicherry. We planned to visit at least five places in the first half of Day-1 and then visit the Matrimandir in Auroville in the second half. But eventually, we missed Aurobindo Ashram on that day as we reached there during lunch hour when it was closed already.

Churches of Pondicherry

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

You can find this century-old church right opposite Pondicherry railway station. It is built in Neo-Gothic style. Inside the church, there are rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic Church.

When we went there, the prayer was going on. We sat there for a while, and when the prayer ended, we came out. Everyday mass is held three times here. You can get the timings from their website.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

This church is located on Mission street. This church was built in the 18th century and almost 300 years old.

The Fest of this Church, the Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary, falls on the 8th of December every year.

One of the oldest tourist sites in the city, the cathedral was visited by Mother Teresa during her visit to Puducherry. The Bishop House is also situated here.

Church of our Lady of the Angels

This church is located in Dumas Street, also known as Domas Church. I saw this church while roaming around in White Town.

The church was built in Greco-Roman architecture with the main chappel with two pillars on either side.

There is a statue of Joan of Arc donated to the church by the then Mayor of Puducherry, Goubert. The bells in the temple are believed to have been procured from France.

Pondicherry Museum

Pondicherry Museum is located on Ranga Pillai Street and open all days from 10 am – 5 pm except Monday.

It has a collection of many bronze and stone sculptures from the Pallava and Chola Dynasties. The museum also has a geology room, a shell and a fossil room, a compilation of handicrafts, coins and French furniture.

There are also artefacts from an excavation in Arakimedu that establishes trade links with Roman empires.

Lunch at Baker Street Cafe

We had our lunch at Baker Street Cafe, close to our guesthouse. They make some of the best croissants and pizzas in the town. Their speciality is French food, and they have a wide variety of homemade French foods with separate veg and non-veg sections.

After lunch, we visited Auroville, followed by Serenity Beach in a cab that I had booked from our guesthouse on the previous day.

Matrimandir, Auroville

Auroville is a universal township with residents from all over the world. Auroville aims to realise human unity while practising sustainable living, addressing the cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of humanity.

It’s the vision of Mirra Alfassa (called as Mother by his followers) which finally materialised on 28th February 1968 by an inaugural ceremony attended by 5000 people from 124 nations worldwide.

They brought soil from their homeland, all of which was kept in a marble-clad lotus-shaped urn that is now cited as the focal point inside the amphitheatre.

The Matrimandir is at the centre of the township, around which the township is built divided into 4 zones – Residential Zone, International Zone, Cultural Zone and Industrial Zone.

These zones are collectively encircled by Green Zone, which comprises organic farms, dairies, orchards, forests, and wildlife areas.

This township is located partly in Pondicherry and the rest in Tamilnadu. It is 8 km north of Pondicherry and at a distance of 150 km from Chennai.

Serenity Beach

Serenity beach is also around 7 km from Pondicherry and is quite popular among the young generation. It is the nearest sandy beach from Pondicherry.

Several fishing boats lined along the shoreline, and a stone laid pavement encroaches little inside the sea.  It’s a fishing village where locals are busy with their daily life, and visitors enjoy a lovely sunset in a cold sea breeze sitting over the rock laid pavement.

Day 2

Yesterday when we came back from Auroville. We were pleased with the weather and thought that the dark monsoon cloud we saw on our way to Pondicherry from Mahabalipuram was just a bad dream. And our next 2 days would be as enjoyable as Day-1. But we were completely wrong.

We woke up in the morning with the sound of incessant rain and thunderbolts. As I went to the balcony, the gust of rain almost made me completely wet. After having our morning tea from the hotel, we waited for another two hours.

When the intensity of rain slightly reduces, we went to the main gate of our guesthouse with our umbrellas (borrowed one from the hotel). As soon as I saw an empty autorickshaw coming our way, we just hopped in even before asking him about the fare.

When we reached Cafe Des Arts, the downpour was still pretty heavy, but somehow we managed to jump inside the cafe from our autorickshaw. It was 9 in the morning, and courtesy of the rain, we got a table without waiting.

Breakfast at Cafe Des Arts

Tucked away on Rue Suffren in the White Town, Cafe Des Arts is a perfect place to relax. Located inside a Franco-Tamil building, this place is elegantly decored to create a vintage vibe.

The cycle-rickshaw at the garden definitely add to that heritage look. WE ordered a complete combo which includes fruit juice, toast and croissant with jam and butter, fruit salad, boiled egg and coffee.

The waiting time was a bit more, but considering that they prepared it all with fresh ingredients, the time to serve seemed justified.

The food was extremely delicious, and we got busy eating it for the next 45 minutes while the rain was continuing at a fierce pace.

After another hour, when we came out, although the rain stopped momentarily, the road in front got completely waterlogged. Luckily we got an auto-rickshaw from Cafe Des Arts and went straight to Aurobindo Ashram that we missed yesterday.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

This is the place where Sri Aurobindo Ghosh spent most of his life. It is located in the eastern part of Pondicherry, inside White Town.

Founded in 1926 by Aurobindo Ghosh, Sri Aurobindo Ashram has grown, under Mother’s (Mira Alfassa) guidance, from a small group of two dozen disciples into a large and diverse community with almost 1600 members.

Ashram main building has the houses of Aurobindo and The Mother, and their Samadhis, where they were laid to rest. 

The Ashram provides its members with all they need for a healthy life. Various departments look after the basic requirements of food, clothing and shelter, and medical care.

There are also libraries for study and facilities for various cultural pursuits, including music, dance, theatre, and the arts.

Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple

Manakula Vinayagar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Ganesa. This temple is a popular pilgrimage site and tourist destination in Puducherry.

Located close to Sri Aurobindo Ashram, this temple was our next destination. It has a beautiful entrance with a wall lined by carvings of Hindu gods and goddesses. Inside the temple, the southern sidewall has three rows of gods sculptures and stone engravings.

In addition, there is a large golden chariot inside the temple, which is believed to bring good luck to devotees if they can pull it. 

Cancelled Plan to Visit Paradise Beach

We planned to visit Paradise Beach post-lunch, but when I asked locals whether it would be possible to go there, they told me that the ferry service from the Chunnambar boat house (starting point towards Paradise beach) must be closed in this weather.

So, I dropped the plan for that day and visited the Auroboutique shop beside the Manakula Vinayagar Temple. We bought a few handmade paper products, few art and crafts collectables and souvenir fridge magnets.

Then we went to Mission Street for more shopping. But luckily, the rain was a saviour for me this time, and it played a perfect spoiled sport.

Auroboutique

Auroboutique is a unit of Sri Aurobindo Udyog Trust. It was originally started by Mother in 1969.

You can shop from various Handmade Paper products, Incense sticks, Candles, Perfumes and Essential oils.

Eco-friendly Hand Made Paper Products like Craft Kits, Origami Kits, Photo Frames, Albums, Notebooks, Gift Boxes, Gift Bags, Organizer Box, Folders, Drawing Books, Gift Wrap Papers and Lampshades are so attractive to ignore while you are in the store.

Mission Street Market

Mission Street in Pondicherry is the most popular place for shopping. Lined by some of the finest boutiques and retail stores, Mission Street is a must-visit place for all shopping lovers.

Casablanca, Anokhi, Kalki, Hidesign Outlet are some of the boutique stores you should visit once while on Mission Street.

Address:

Lunch at Barbeque Nation

At last, we went to Barbeque Nation for an Indian lunch. This restaurant was at the other end of Bussy Street.

It was on the 3rd floor of a residential building. As the Saturday brunch was going on, the restaurant was completely occupied. We had to wait for thirty minutes before being given a table.

The non-veg buffet spread had many options, and the food quality was as par as the other brunches in Kolkata that we visited multiple times.

Promenade Again

After lunch, we had a quick break in our guesthouse before we were out again to go to the Promenade. The rain had taken a pause, but the sky still looked ominous, completely covered in layers of dark cloud. This time we went to the Dupleix Statue in front of the famous Promenade Hotel.

We clicked a few pictures and then walked past it towards the stone-paved encroachment in the sea near the Port-complex.

It was almost dark then, but many tourists and locals were sitting there until a sudden gush of wind with heavy rain completely drenched everyone.

Somehow we managed to get out of there and went inside the Port through the opened beachside entrance.

The wind was so fierce that it almost blew our umbrellas. Finally, we got an auto-rickshaw from Goubert Avenue and reached our guesthouse.

Day 3

This was our last day in Pondicherry. Today we had to check out and take a flight back from Chennai. The scheduled flight departure time was 6:30 pm. So, we decided to take another chance to visit Paradise Beach. But you know there is a saying, “Man proposes, God, disposes”.

When I woke up in the morning, it was cloudy outside, but the rain had stopped. So, I went for a morning walk to the White Town before we check out.

Unfortunately, there was waterlogging on the sides of the roads in White Town. Yet, for the next one and a half hours, I enjoyed exploring the rues and avenues of White Town. It was a nice street photography experience inside the heritage town of Pondicherry.

A Heritage Walk in White Town

The best experience for me in Pondicherry was walking down the streets of White Town. White Town is like every photographer’s dream.

Every nook and corner of this area is so elegant and vibrant that one can keep walking aimlessly for hours and keep pressing the camera’s shutter again and again.

Read More: White Town in Pondicherry – A Photo Walk

Adieu La Maison!

Finally, after having our breakfast in the guesthouse, we checked out by 9:30 am. We said goodbye to Rajlaxmi and her team, our host, for the last 3 days. And then, drove towards Paradise Beach, the last sightseeing destination of our trip to Pondicherry.

One Last Attempt Towards Paradise Beach

As soon as we reached the city limit of Pondicherry, that same nagging rain started again. After a few minutes, it started falling like cats and dogs. And I was kind of confident that we would miss Paradise Beach this time.

Finally, after driving for an hour, when we reached the Chunnambar Boat House, the entry gate was closed, and the security at the gate told us that the ferry service to Paradise Beach had been cancelled for that day.

Well, that was the end of our Pondicherry trip in November. The insane traffic jam in the waterlogged Cuddalore Road and the pelting rain in the outskirts of Chennai took us more than 6 hours to reach Chennai Airport from Pondicherry.

But, luckily for us, we only had to miss the lunch for that day, not the flight back to Kolkata.

Our Stay in Pondicherry

We stayed in La Maison, Pondicherry, a B&B in Bussey Street, around 500 meters from Rock beach. This place is just one block behind White Town. A group of charming women led by Rajlaxmi takes care of this property, and they will make you feel at home here.

You will get delicious homemade vegetarian food in their rooftop restaurant.

How to Reach Pondicherry

Road

Pondicherry is approximately 160 km from Chennai. The best way is East Coast Road via Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram is 90 km from Pondicherry. I hired a Uber cab from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry, which took 2 hours to reach.

The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation and Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operate Volvo air-conditioned bus services from Chennai to Pondicherry.

Rail

PDY/Puducherry (Pondicherry) is connected by train to all major cities in India. Moreover, VM/Villupuram Junction, which is at a distance of around 40 km(both by rail & road), is connected to several other Indian Cities.

Air

Pondicherry Airport is located at Lawspet, an Assembly Constituency in the union territory of Pondicherry. It has direct flights to Hyderabad, Bangalore, operated by SpiceJet Airlines. It also has chartered flights to Chennai operated by TruJet Airlines.

Chennai airport is the nearest International Airport to Pondicherry with a driving time of little above 3 hours.

Few Travel Tips

• A 3-day itinerary for Pondicherry is the least to cover all the places in and around the town.
• White Town is the part adjacent to the seashore where the former French Colony was built. And the walkaway beside the sea is called Promenade. The more you stay away from the beach, the less you have to pay for your accommodation.
• If you want to stay in one of the old French buildings converted to a heritage hotel, you have to consider paying little more than the average hotel tariff in the city. This is because heritage stays are mostly in the White Town.
• You will not find many backpackers hostel in Pondicherry apart from 2 to 3 maximum. Among them, Micasa Hostel is the most trusted one. On the other hand, you will find plenty of B&Bs in Pondicherry. Ours in Bussy Street was an excellent homely place to spend a memorable time together.
• All the attractions in White Town are within a walkable distance. For other places outside the White Town, you can hire an auto-rickshaw. There are also many scooter/bike rental shops where you can hire one at a nominal daily charge. Some hotels also provide free bicycle rental to their guests.
• In monsoon, carrying a collapsible umbrella is a must. And packing a raincoat for your kid is a great idea.
• The Chunnambar Boat House frequently gets closed in Monsoon. So always check weather predictions before you head towards Paradise Beach.
• You will get alcohol at comparatively low prices in Pondicherry. But drinking alcohol or smoking in public places like parks, beaches or beside roads is strictly prohibited. And remember, carrying sealed alcohol bottles outside the territory of Pondicherry is also illegal. So you have to pay additional tax for that.

So, Have you been to Pondicherry? How was your experience? What is your favourite place in Pondicherry? Let me know in comment section.

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