Club Mahindra

Heritage lover, are you? Then a walk around White Town is a must. Here, you will spot bright yellow and white walls, arched gates lined with bougainvillea and clean European-style streets, making your tour almost surreal and super-picturesque. As the name suggests, it was a secluded section in Pondicherry that was exclusively reserved for the French people who settled here and called it home after 1674, thereby giving it the name. The roads or ‘rues’, houses, hanging balconies, cobbled pavements, crisscrossing streets are all typical of a quaint French town, so you can imagine the sheer pleasure of walking through it.

If you love peace and quiet, you must include going to Sri Aurobindo Ashram meditation centre – dedicated to the spiritual community started by Aurobindo and grown under the guidance of Sri Maa. The Ashram now has the samadhi of both its founder and guide.

It is also home to the seafront and Promenade – a place where all tourists head, to enjoy the balmy sea breeze and take scores of ‘selfies’, of course! The Promenade is also the home of the French War Memorial – dedicated to the soldiers who sacrificed their life during the First World War. Opposite this, stands the majestic Gandhi Statue, another significant landmark here.

Of course, if you are more spiritually minded, don’t miss the ornate and traditional Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple and the Sacred Heart Basilica Church. And for those seeking shopping and a throbbing nightlife, here’s exactly where you want to head. The White Town is filled with pubs, bars and lounges to go and dance your heart out.