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With a coast line of 32 kms, well-planned French Boulevard town, palm-fringed beaches, resorts, backwaters, water sports centre, fishing villages, harbour, the pier, the famous Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville, world-renowned Yoga centres and other attractions, Pondicherry is the ideal place to spend your holidays with your family. There's something for every one.

The origin of Pondicherry is buried in legends. According to one view, the town was once called Vedapuri and was a seat of Vedic culture, and the abode of Sage Agastya. Prof. Jonvean Dubrouil, the French archeologist believes that the Ashram of Agastya was on the very spot where the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram stands today.

Remnants of an ancient port town have been excavated at Arikamedu, 6 kms from Pondicherry town, clearly proving that it had trade connections with Rome and Greece, around the period 100 BC and 100 AD.

Pondicherry continued to flourish even during the Chola period, as the discovery of the Chola coins from the eleventh and twelfth centuries indicate. These Chola coins and the artefacts from the excavations at Arikamedu can be viewed in the Pondicherry Museum.

Modern Pondicherry

The history of modern Pondicherry starts with the arrival of the French in 1673, who ruled for most part of the next 281 years.

The Union Territory of Pondicherry consists of

• Pondicherry the capital, 162 kms South of Chennai on the East coast of South India.
• Karaikal, 132 kms South of Pondicherry.
• Yanam, in the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradhesh, and
• Mahe, in the Cannanore District of Kerala.