Places outside Pondicherry - within 150km

Mahabalipuram also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kancheepuram district, situated 100km north of Pondicherry. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet). Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city belonging to the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For lunch, you can stop at Moonrakers, Nautilus or the Sea Rock Restaurant which is right in front of the beach.

It is a town famous for its temples and its stone carvings:

- Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea.

- Descent of the Ganges - a giant open-air bas relief

- Arjuna's Penance - this is the world's largest bas relief measuring 27m X 9m. It is a relief sculpture on a massive scale glorifying an episode from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata.

- Varaha Cave Temple - a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century.

- The Shore Temple - a temple along the Bay of Bengal. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone. It houses shrines for both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu and belongs to the early 8th century AD.

- The Five Rathas (Five Chariots or Pancha Pandhava Rathas) - five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled, each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.

This pilgrimage centre is 14km east from Mahabalipuram with a hill-top Shiva temple, known for the legendary two eagles that come here to be fed by priests every day. It is believed that they come from Varanasi. This temple complex has an enormous gopuram at the base of the hill. One can also visit the temple from Mahabalipuram by hiring a bicycle.

The Crocodile bank is situated barely 14km from Mahabalipuram on the Chennai-Mahabalipuram road. Set up by an American naturalist named Romulus Whitaker in 1976, the number of crocodiles in the bank grew in its first 15 years from just 15 to over 6,000. Located nearby is a snake farm where anti-venom is produced for treating snakebites. This crocodile bank houses several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators. Here, the crocodiles are kept in their natural environment in open pools and can be viewed from safe proximity. The Crocodile farm was set up to increase the crocodile population of the wildlife sanctuaries in the country. The Crocodile Bank is spread over an area of about 3.2hectares. It has about seven crocodilian species including three Indian types. The Indian species include the 3.6-meter long Marsh/Mugger variety (which is the most widely distributed species), the four to five meter long Gharials (the crocodile with the longest jaw) and the saltwater crocodiles, the largest of reptiles.

An ideal place for water sports, Muttukadu is 21km from Mahabalipuram. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has a boat house here. Visitors can enjoy boating, canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing. The Dakshina Chitra of Madras Craft Foundation here has replica of an old agricultural house of Tamil Nadu, replica of Kancheepuram weavers’ house and replicas of ancient houses presenting the lifestyle of South India.

65km away from Mahabalipuram, lies the fabled city of a thousand temples, Kanchipuram. There are 650 stones inscriptions in Kancheepuram belonging to different dynasties. The temples here reflect the efflorescence of Pallava art and the imposing embellishments were added later by the Chola, Vijayanagara and Chalukyan kings. The Ekambaranathar temple, the Kailasanatha temple, Sri Varadaraja temple, Sri Vaikuntaperumal temple… the names stretch endlessly. The city itself is dedicated to the presiding deity, Sri Kamakshi (one with eyes of love) at the Kamakshi temple. It is a city famous for its silk.

For those who prefer an ‘off the beaten track’ experience, Gingee also known as Chinji or Jinji is the ideal place. It is one of the few surviving forts in Tamil Nadu. Founded by the Cholas, it rose to prominence in the 16th century. It was called the "Troy of the East" by the British. It is located around 65km from Pondicherry, in Villupuram district. Gingee is home to a huge fort complex (stands on 800ft). The site is composed of three hills, each separately fortified, with the ruins of a place, a temple, a mosque, a granary, an auditorium and even a harem.

Start off early in the morning as the heat will become unbearable once the sun rises. Take stocks of food and enough drinking water.

Singavaram is about 4km north from Gingee. The temple of Lord Ranganatha, is on top of the hill. This 7th Century Cave Temple is a good example of South Indian type of rock-cut-shrine. The original Pallava shrine consists of a pillared hall and an image of Vishnu Anantasayini cut into the rock. The idol of Lord Ranganatha in a reclining posture, measures 24ft in length.

This pilgrimage town is situated 102km from Pondicherry. Tiruvannamalai is home to the Arunachala Temple, one of the largest temples in South India, built between the 16th and 17th centuries by the Vijayanagara kings. The main deity here is Shiva. The tallest of the gopuram is over 66m in height. The 1000 pillared hall and the gopuram have some excellent carvings. Ramana Maharshi Ashram is one of the most famous South India’s spiritual centres and it is the home of samathi of Sri Ramana Maharshi, a 20th century guru. Here you can also see the famous fossil tree-Tiruvakkadai.

Pichavaram is located 15km east of Chidambaram. Pichavaram is one of the world’s largest mangrove forests. On the mouth of the three rivers, it is a cluster of over 50 tiny islands in the midst of hundred of canals. Row boats are available on hire.

In and around Karaikal there are many places of interest for a tourist and a pilgrim. Located 140kms south of the city of Pondicherry, Karaikal is known for its rich religious heritage, and is a destination for those seeking leisure and serenity. The town enjoys a harmonious society comprising of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people of other religious persuasions. The French flavour still persists in the peaceful land of Karaikal. Karaikal is known all over the country for its unique and the only temple devoted to the Lord Saneeswaran (Lord Saturn) at Thirunallar. Holy Shiva and Vaishnava temples are situated in Karaikal. Two famous shrines, Velankanni for Christians and Nagore for Muslims are nearby Karaikal.

Karaikal Beach

This sandy beach is one of the best natural beaches in the South Tamil Nadu.
This beach is an excellent place to watch the rising sun. Arasalar offers peddled, motor and rowing boats and children’s park.

Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple

This is located in a small town called ‘Villianur’, 11km from Pondicherry. The main shrine housing the ‘Shivlinga’ and the shrines dedicated to the Devi and Murugan date back to the 12th century Chola period. This temple has a little bit of French heritage attached to it, though not in its architecture, but in some of its traditions. The annual Temple Car Festival which is held in the months of May and June involves the pulling of a 15metre tall chariot through the streets by a large crowd of devotees.
During French colonial rule, the Governor of Pondicherry used to join this procession. This tradition lives on with the present Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry participating in the festival now.

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

It was erected in 1876 and is modelled on that of the Basilica in France. The statue of Notre Dame was donated by the French Government a year later. A curious feature here is the Church tank, which is usually common in all the Hindu temples. The ritual bathing of devotees at the tank here, a long standing tradition, is one of the highlights during the festival honouring the Madonna held in June.