Ousteri Lake
Ousteri Lake, also popular as Osudu Lake, is the most picturesque and important freshwater man-made lake of the Pondicherry region. The lake comprises of marshy lands and mudflats and is designated as one of the significant wetlands of Asia by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources or IUCN.
The lake is serene and one of the spectacular tourist attractions in Pondicherry owing to its jaw-dropping sunset views. Experiencing the glorious beauty of the rising sun is one of the highly ranked things to do in Pondicherry. Moreover, the lake region and the marshes are rich in biodiversity. And, hence, the region houses many migratory and residential birds. Ousteri Lake is a paradise for nature lovers and birdwatchers!
Botanical Garden
Featuring six gorgeous fountains, a large aquarium with ornamental fishes, Japanese rock, dancing fountain and a beautiful children's train, the Botanical Garden of Pondicherry is truly an unmissable attraction.
Established in the year 1826 by C.S. Perrotet, this 22-acre park is located favourably near the southern entrance of Pondicherry's New Bus Stand. Over 1500 species of plants populate this park, some of which are indigenous to the region and some brought from other parts of the world.
Puducherry Museum
Goodness knows how this converted late-18th-century villa keeps its artefacts from disintegrating, considering there is a whole floor of French-era furniture sitting in the South Indian humidity. On the ground floor look especially for Chola, Vijayanagar and Nayak bronzes, and pieces of ancient Greek and Spanish pottery and amphorae (storage vessels) excavated from Arikamedu, a once-major trading port just south of Puducherry. Upstairs is Governor Dupleix' bed.
Green Quarter
Pondicherry offers fantastic and fascinating guided tours around the classical French colonies and traditional Tamil settlements in vintage bicycles. There are also walking tours that are supervised by English or French speaking guides. The tour encompasses Muslim Quarter (also called Green Quarter), followed by Tamil and French houses, various cultural centres, and traditional and historical places.
French War Memorial
Built in 1971, the French War Memorial is a tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in World War I. Every year, on July 14, an annual remembrance is organized to honour the Bravehearts. It is one of the most impressive war memorials in the country.
Auroville
Auroville, the City of Dawn, was established by The Mother, the one who had inherited Shri Aurobindo’s spiritual legacy. It is a settlement where people from different nations can come and live in harmony. This enormous village of red earth, picturesque houses, lush greenery till the where the eyes can see, and scores of cycles and bikes going about the dirt tracks, is among the most pristine places in India that should be on every nature lovers and peace seeker’s bucket list.