Beyond the city
Within Puducherry: Villianur’s temple and Lourdes shrine, the archaeological site of Arikamedu, the Chunnambar backwaters and Paradise Beach, and the lakes of Ousteri and Bahour. Across the border in Tamil Nadu: Auroville and its Matrimandir, the temple at Irumbai and Serenity Beach.
Auroville, Irumbai and Kottakuppam are in Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry.
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Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0 TempleThirukameeswarar Temple, Villianur
Shiva temple at Villianur where Shiva is worshipped as Kameeswarar and Parvati as Kokilambigai; its two-acre complex has inscriptions from the 14th century.
- Church
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Villianur
Marian shrine and parish church at Villianur, among the first in the world dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes outside France; its statue was crowned in 1886.
Jayaseerlourdhuraj · CC BY-SA 3.0 HeritageArikamedu Archaeological Site
Ancient port and trading settlement at Kakkayanthope, about 4 km south of the city; finds from its excavations are in the Puducherry Museum.
- Attraction
Chunnambar Water Sports Complex
Boating centre on the Chunnambar backwaters, named by Puducherry Tourism for pedal boats, kayaks and speed-boat rides.
Ehteshaam Khatri · CC BY-SA 4.0 BeachParadise Beach
Sandy beach south of the city at Chunnambar, one of the beaches developed by the Puducherry Department of Tourism.
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Dinesh Valke from Thane, India · CC BY-SA 2.0 AttractionOusteri Lake (Oussudu)
The largest lake of Puducherry, about 800 hectares shared with Tamil Nadu: a man-made tank declared a bird sanctuary in 2008.
P Jeganathan · CC BY-SA 3.0 AttractionBahour Lake
The second largest lake in Puducherry and one of its Important Bird Areas, near Bahour in the south of the territory.
- Tourist information
Auroville Visitors Centre
Visitor centre of Auroville, the experimental township founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, mostly in Tamil Nadu just north of Pondicherry.
In Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry
Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0 Place of worshipMatrimandir, Auroville
The golden sphere at the centre of Auroville, conceived by the Mother as the “Soul of the City” and completed in 2008. In Tamil Nadu, north of Pondicherry.
In Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Garden
Auroville Botanical Gardens
Botanical gardens in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, north-west of Pondicherry.
In Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Temple
Irumbai Mahakaleswarar Temple
Shiva temple at Irumbai in Vanur taluk, Villupuram district (Tamil Nadu), where Shiva is worshipped as Maakaleswarar and his consort as Kuyilmozhi Ammai.
In Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry
Pinakpani · CC BY-SA 4.0 BeachSerenity Beach
Beach at Kottakuppam, just north of the city across the Tamil Nadu border.
In Tamil Nadu, outside the Union Territory of Puducherry
