Pondicherry, formally known as Puducherry, and commonly known as Pondy, is one of the seven territories of the Indian Union. Pondicherry is located about 160km south of Chennai on the coast of Coromandel. Puducherry is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the east, and on the other sides is the South Arcot district of Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry is a former French colony which was settled in the 18th century. The Union Territory of Puducherry consists of four areas: Puducherry, Mahe, Karaikal, and Yanam. Historically, Puducherry was the pre-independence capital of the French. In addition, there is evidence of a Roman colony here close to 2000 years ago.
The 1500 meter long beach that borders the town on the side is clean and is an ideal place for swimming and sun bathing. There are two monuments of historical importance on the beach. One is the four meter tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi and the other is the War Memorial, built by the French in commemoration of the soldiers who died in the First World War. The Light House, which stands 29 meters high, is further down the beach and is nearly 150 years old.
The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes are a few of the major churches. The Villianur temple of the 12th century Lord Tirukameswara, the Tiruvandar temple of Lord Shiva with sculptures of the 7th century, the Manakula Vinayagar temple of Lord Ganesha, the Vedapuriswara temple for Lord Shiva, Varadaraja temple are some of the important shrines in Puducherry. Aurobindo Ashram, French Institute, Auroville, Madrimandir and Chunnambar Boat House are some of the areas of public interest.
Like any other place in India, Puducherry has its own unique with its own colourful ambience like the International Yoga Festival in January; Maasi Magam in February – March at the beach of the fishing village and Fete de Puducherry in August. Mangani festival in July.
Source:
https://www.holidify.com/places/pondicherry/
https://www.tourmyindia.com/states/puducherry/
https://www.indianmirror.com/tourism/pondi.html