Pondicherry on a rainy day
On a wet day, much of Pondicherry can still be seen under a roof. Check opening times locally.
Museums and science
The Puducherry Museum, the house of the poet Bharathi and the Science Centre and Planetarium at Lawspet.
Satdeep Gill · CC BY-SA 4.0 MuseumPuducherry Museum
Museum in a French-period building near Bharathi Park, with one of the largest collections of Chola bronzes and finds from the excavations at Arikamedu.
- Museum
Subramania Bharathi Memorial Museum
House where the Tamil poet and freedom fighter Subramania Bharathi lived after taking refuge from the British in Pondicherry; now a museum of his works.
- Museum
Puducherry Science Centre and Planetarium
Public science centre and planetarium at Lawspet, set up by the National Council of Science Museums.
Shyamal · CC BY-SA 3.0 LibraryRomain Rolland Library
Public library founded in 1827 as the Bibliothèque Publique, one of the oldest in India, renamed in 1966 after the French writer Romain Rolland.
Under great roofs
The stained glass of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the cathedral of 1791, Our Lady of Angels and the Manakula Vinayagar temple. These are places of worship: dress and behave accordingly.
Pinakpani · CC BY-SA 4.0 ChurchBasilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Gothic Revival basilica on the south boulevard, built from 1902 and known for its stained-glass panels of the life of Christ and the saints.
BishkekRocks · CC BY-SA 3.0 ChurchImmaculate Conception Cathedral
Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, consecrated in 1791 and known locally as Samba Kovil.
Aravindaraja · CC BY-SA 3.0 ChurchOur Lady of Angels Church
Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges on Dumas Street, built in 1855 in Greco-Roman style and facing the sea; mass is said here in French, Tamil and English.
Deepak-nsk · CC0 TempleSri Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Ganesha temple in the old town, older than the French settlement and one of the best-known places of worship in Pondicherry.
