20 Attractions to Explore Near Marakkanam Salt Pans

Auro beach is great place to enjoy the cool waters and calming breeze. As with the Serenity beach, this is comparatively less crowded than the other beaches of Pondicherry. Even the ride towards the beach is amazingly peaceful with trees providing a cool shade. Although is beach is not very clean, it is still flocked by many locals, especially youngsters. Numerous people can be seen taking evening walks and enjoying the mesmerizing view of the sunset.

Matrimandir is an edifice of spiritual significance for the practitioners of Integral Yoga,

Serenity Beach as its name suggests is a tranquil spot along the Bay of Bengal. Beautiful and scenic, the name is very apt for this beach. Bathed in warm golden sand with a trail of rocks leading to the sea, it is perfect for calm days.

Bharathiar Memorial Museum cum Research Centre located at Puducherry was established commemorating the renowned Tamil poet and freedom fighter Subramanya Bharathiyar, popularly entitled the sobriquet "Mahakavi", literally the supreme poet. The museum was established in the very abode of Bharathiyar, where the poet took refuge from the ruling British Raj, from 1908 to 1918, when Puducherry (erstwhile Pondicherry) was governed by the French regime.

The Kargil War Memorial was built by the Indian Army in remembrance of soldiers who fought the dreaded and unforgettable war of Kargil. It is located opposite to the Chief Secretariat Office, at the northern end of the main Puducherry Beach. The main memorial has an inscription on a marble plate that says “Government of India War Memorial” with a rifle and a soldier’s cap over it. There is an array of stone pillars of variable lengths that surround the memorial.

The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community ashram located in Pondicherry, in the Indian territory of Puducherry. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910. On 24 November 1926, after a major spiritual realization,

The Romain Rolland Library, founded in 1827 as the Bibliothèque Publique, is one of the oldest Libraries of India located in the union territory of Puducherry. In the year 1966 when the birth centenary of the Great French Scholar, Romain Rolland who was also a contemporary and a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated, the Library was renamed after him and ever since it is known as ‘Romain Rolland Library’

Raj Niwas is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. It is located in Puducherry's capital city of Pondicherry. The present lieutenant governor of Puducherry is Dr. Kiran Bedi. Once it was the official residence of the French Governors.

In nineteenth century, the only light to guide ships coming to Pondicherry was atop the Red Hills which was inadequate. The project was finally taken up during the tenure of Governor Saint Simon in 1835. Louis Guerre was the engineer of the project. The foundation stone for the lighthouse was laid at the end of 1835 and the inauguration ceremony took place in February 1836.

The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is located on the beachfront of Pondicherry. Built by the famous sculptor Roy Choudhary from Madras School of Art and Crafts, it is one of the major landmarks in Pondicherry. It is surrounded by eight exquisitely carved monolithic granite pillars which were brought from Gingee Fort. The statue stands 4 m (13 feet) high is the 3rd biggest Mahatma Gandhi statue. It was inaugurated on January 26, 1965. The square in front of the statue referred to as Gandhi Thidal, play

Aayi Mandapam is a white monument in Pondicherry, India built during the time of Napoleon III, Emperor of France. It is situated in center of Bharathi park. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city during his reign. It was named after a lady courtesan called Ayi. She destroyed her own house to erect a water reservoir to supply water for the city.

French War memorial is a war memorial dedicated to residents of French India who died for the country during the First World War. It is on Goubert Avenue in Puducherry, located opposite to the Gandhi statue.

This is the oldest bird sanctuary in India. It was a favorite hunting ground of rich landlords back in the early 1700's who hunted mainly for sport.

Rock Beach is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Puducherry, India, along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starts from War Memorial and end at Dupleix Park on the Goubert Avenue.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the cathedral mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It is also known as "Samba Kovil", which is a phonetic corruption of "Saint Paul’s Kovil" where "Kovil" means church.

Our Lady of Angels Church is the fourth oldest church in Puducherry, a Union territory in South India. The original structure was built in Greco Roman architecture by Napoleon III in 1855, with the architect being Louis Guerre. It is the only church that offers mass in three languages namely French, Tamil and English.

Featuring six gorgeous fountains, a large aquarium with ornamental fishes, Japanese rock, dancing fountain and a beautiful children's train, the Botanical Garden of Pondicherry is truly an unmissable attraction. Established in the year 1826 by C.S. Perrotet, this 22-acre park is located favourably near the southern entrance of Pondicherry's New Bus Stand. Over 1500 species of plants populate this park – some of which are indigenous to the region and some brought from other parts of the world.

The statue of Joseph Francois Dupleix is situated in the children's park on the beach road. Dupleix was one of the most popular French governors to Pondicherry. He tried to prevent British supremacy by forming alliances with local princes. With the defeat of French in the Second Carnatic War, Dupleix resigned his governorship and returned to France.

The Sacred Heart Basilica situated on the south boulevard of Pondicherry in Puducherry, India, is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic Church. In recent years it has become one of the famous pilgrimage spots for Christians.

A lighthouse was constructed in Pondicherry in the nineteenth century by the French rulers. A new lighthouse was constructed in 20th century by the government of India. The old lighthouse had first beamed light on 1 September 1836. The new lighthouse (11°55′00″N 79°49′51″E) started functioning in 1979