Tourist Destinations of Pondicherry

Other places like Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam are also known for their strong French connections and create a nostalgic effect on the visitors.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram
The ashram was founded in 1920 when Sri Aurobindo reached Pondicherry, a French colony and put in place his ideas of peaceful community. The ashram, for long, was run by his French companion Mirra Alfassa, universally known as the Mother. Each member of the Ashram is free to mediate the way and by the course he follows and there are no rituals, obligatory practices, and systematic instruction. The ashram is a diversified community with more than 1200 members out of which 400 are the students of Centre of Education. To support the administrative system of the ashram, it has various departments to look after basic needs of the members. More than that there are farms and gardens, printing press, libraries, and a number of small-scale industries.

The ashram houses the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the mother and open to everybody for fixed hours every day. Pondicherry MuseumSituated in the Government Park, the Pondicherry Museum has a very good sculpture gallery and a section of archaeological finds from the Roman settlement at Arikamedu. There is also a French section charting the history of the colony. The objects include the four-poster bed in which Dupleix is believed to have slept. There is also a superb collection of the snail shells from the Pondicherry Region.PromenadeA lovely beach within bike range from the city centre in the north is a pleasant surprise. Much better than most of the town beaches and with few spectators and 1.5 km long promenade. The beach and the Promenade are the most delightful part of the city and a stroll, sun bathe, and swim enhance the quality of experience. On the beach front are located many sites such as a statue of Mahatma Gandhi surrounded by eight exquisitely carved monolithic pillars, and a war memorial.

Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary
The Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary is set in a similar ecosystem. Hence, most of the denizens of the wild found in Palamau can also be seen here. Sighting of wild boar, sambar, nilgai, cheetal, and kakar is assured especially near the waterholes at dusk. Tigers being less in number - 14 according to the 1991 census - are difficult to sight. The sanctuary is situated at an average altitude of 1800 feet and stretches over 184 square kilometers of undulating country and steep hills with dense tropical forests and grass meadows. The National Highway passing through the sanctuary is a cause of disturbance to their environment.

Netarhat
It is worth driving on a couple of hours through Betla to Netarhat, which is a pretty place at an elevation of 1250 meters. It is renowned for spectacular sunrises and sunsets plus the scenery.

Rajrappa
Rajrappa, 90 km from Hazaribagh town is famous for “Ma Chhina Mastika” temple where River Bhera joins the Damodar from a height of 20 ft. The little waterfall offers boating facilities, which introduces some very spectacular rock formations in this area.

Parasnath
Graced with a pleasant climate and picturesque places, Hazaribagh plateau has on its eastern margin, Parasnath - the highest hill in Jharkhand, rising to a height of 4,480 ft. The loftiness here is of another order. According to Jain tradition, no less than 20 out of 24 tirthankaras or saints (including Parsvanatha) are believed to have attained salvation in the Sammeta shikhar or the Parasnath hills. The hill seems to have been an abode of Jains. Parsvanatha, the 23rd tirthankar was very popular among the tribal population of Chotanagpur. Both the Swetambara and Digambara Jains have many beautiful temples here on the hills.

Deoghar
Deoghar or Baidyanathdham is the most important Hindu pilgrimage site for the people of Jharkhand as well as Bihar. Lakhs of pilgrims visit this place on foot traveling for around 100 km during the month of Shravan to pay their reverence to Lord Shiva.