TRIP TO PONDICHERRY

 During the summer, the days were very hot. I mostly stayed inside my air-conditioned room and wished for some cool sea breeze. We had gone on a two-day trip to Rameswaram on April 30, 2025, and were planning a visit to Pondicherry to enjoy the seaside.

Pondicherry, also known as Puducherry, was a French colony until 1954. After that, it became a Union Territory of India. The French part of the town has beautiful buildings that show a mix of Indian and French styles. These buildings are close to the beach.

Pondicherry is not far from Chennai, so many people from across India and other countries visit it, making tourism as the main source of income. It was once called the "Little France of India." Many people in Pondicherry speak French, along with Tamil. Fishing is a source of income for many locals.

The trip finally happened on June 10, 2025. Gopakumar and I left around 9:30 AM. We crossed the Manimalaiaaru and Thenpannaiyaaru rivers and reached Pondicherry at about 1:50 PM. We stayed at Hotel Grand D’Europe in the French Town area.

The room was neat and well-arranged. The food was a bit costly but tasty. Breakfast was filling and delicious. The hotel was just one street away from the beach.

After resting for a while, we went to the beach in the evening. Many people were relaxing, sitting on the sea wall and on the many chairs placed there. The beach road was strictly controlled by the police, and no vehicles were allowed, so people could walk and jog freely.

Later, we sat on some wooden benches across the road. The street lights came on just before 6 PM. Then we found our car, returned to the hotel, had dinner, and went to sleep.


The coffee made in the room in the morning was good. Breakfast was delicious and served in the room. After breakfast, we went around the city and visited the Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple.


Then, we went to the Annai Ashram around 11:30 AM but were not allowed to enter. After that, we visited a beach with deep water where many boats were parked. Some boats were being repaired there.

By about 12:30 PM, we had lunch at the Karaikal restaurant, and the food was good. In the afternoon, while I rested, Gopakumar and Shankar went out to explore the area.

On June 12, 2025, we left Pondicherry around 8:30 AM and drove back to Kanadukathan, crossing the Thennpannaiyaaru, Manimuthaaru, and Kollidam rivers.

On the outskirts of Trichy, we stopped at Bharani Bhavan for tea, coffee, and snacks. Everything was tasty, and the place was clean, spacious, and pleasant. We then reached Kanadukathan in time for lunch.







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