How to reach Puducherry, India (formerly Pondicherry)
Chennai has an international airport which directly connects to the highway to Puducherry. Chennai airport is 135 kms from Puducherry and flights connect to major cities in India and directly to destinations in Europe, Asian, Middle East and the US. Other airlines fly to Mumbai (Bombay) and New Delhi and will arrange a connecting domestic flight to Chennai. Air Lanka flies via Colombo Gulf Air and Saudi Air fly to and from the Middle east. Asia, the Pacific and the US are connected through Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines.
Puducherry is connected by rail to Villupuram (36 kms), which connects to Chennai and Madurai/Trivandrum. The trains to and from Pondy are slow and few.
By Road
Puducherry is best accessible by road from Chennai, Bangalore and even from Kerala. The best choice for getting to Puducherry from Chennai (150 km) is by taxi or bus. Buses depart from Chennai at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu on a regular basis and it takes about four hours to reach Puducherry bus stand.
Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, the biggest of its kind in South Asia, is located along the Inner Ring Road (Jawaharlal Nehru Salai), in Koyambedu, Chennai. Chennai Central Railway Station is 13 km away.
The terminus features 30 arrival and 150 departure terminals apart from separate bays for omni buses and private operators. The lounge can accommodate 600 people at a time; other facilities include restaurants, shops, drinking water out-lets and toilets. A city bus bay in the front offers connections to various parts of Chennai. The bus terminus is just 2.5 km away from Vadapalani. The bus station operates deluxe, express and fast buses to various destinations in Tamil Nadu. Regular services are available to Puducherry.
Note: The buses that come from Chennai via East Coast Road (ECR) stop near the Pondicherry Engineering College (PEC) campus itself.
About Puducherry
The union territory of Puducherry has three other enclaves: Karaikal, in Tamil Nadu; Yanam, in Andhra Pradesh; and Mahe, in Kerala. This former French colony came under the rule of the Indian Government in 1954. Situated on the Coromandel coast, the town of Puducherry is 162 km south of Chennai.
There is an amusing story behind the name, Pondicherry. In Tamil 'Puduchery,' means 'new village.' The French spelt it 'Poudichéry.' Later the hand-written 'u' was mistaken for an 'n', and the misspelling 'Pondicherry' stuck.
The quaint old French town of Pondicherry is the place where Sri Aurobindo, the well-known philosopher, patriot and savant established his 'ashram.' It is also the birth-place of the great Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathy and the renowned film director M. Night Shyamalan.
There are many monuments in Puducherry, which are the remains of French and Indian heritage. These include the statues of Francois Dupleix, the famous French General and Governor of Pondicherry, Joan of Arc, Notre Dame des Anges, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. There is also a French War Memorial, on Beach Road, which is a tribute for those who sacrificed themselves for the country during the First World War. The Aayi Mandapam is a famous monument which lies at the center of the Bharati Park.
Puducherry shelters an International Peace Center called Matrimandir at Auroville, run by Aurobindo Ashram. It is often described as 'the soul of Auroville.' Matrimandir is a beautiful meditation spot and it houses the world's largest crystal.
The nearest airport is at Chennai. The main railway station is Puducherry Railway Station.