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‘France, But Make It Indian’: How To Plan A 24-Hour Escape to Puducherry

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This month, why not head to France? Not the one in Europe, but a short flight and scenic drive away — in Puducherry. With French charm and Indian soul, this coastal town blends Parisian-style boulevards with South Indian spice.

Visiting Puducherry is like waltzing into an Instagram feed; one decked with mustard-yellow colonial villas, bougainvillaeas spilling out of their balconies. It’s a moodboard of pastels.

Just when you think this town can’t surprise you further, there’s Auroville — an experimental township a 22-minute drive from Puducherry.

No agenda here, only a calm waiting to be embraced. Have 24 hours to spare? Let’s explore this pastel town.

Where to stay in Puducherry?

  • Gratitude Heritage

    • The Gratitude Heritage homestay in Puducherry promises to sate your appetite for a good thriller with an iron safe embedded in a wall of Room 4, which, try as many have, cannot be prised open. This mystery is as compelling as the story of how the homestay found its way into the boulevards of Puducherry. Hosts Siddarth Saikia and his mother Jyoti recall it being a “crumbling and dilapidated spot” whose history dates back 200 years.

    Pieces of trivia will colour your stay.

    For instance, did you know the facade of Gratitude Heritage was featured in the film Life of Pi (2012)? In 2019, the homestay featured in a BBC travel documentary series The Real Marigold Hotel.

    The Gratitude Heritage homestay in Puducherry was featured in the film Life of Pi, Pictures source: (L): Gratitude Heritage, (R): Drawn by Kakoli Banerjee

    With its Franco-Tamil style of architecture, decor that’s punctuated with local crafts, and art workshops that offer you a chance to let your creative side run wild, the Gratitude Heritage homestay is a respite from your otherwise breathless routine.

    Address: 52, Romain Rolland St, White Town, Puducherry – 605001.

    Book your stay here.

  • House of Blue Mangoes

    • Juggling a bohemian setting with classic Tamil architectural sensibilities is a task. But the House of Blue Mangoes does it well. Its Tamil courtyard, thinnai (verandah or porch), and meals inspired by South Indian influence are beautifully juxtaposed against its European aesthetic. The three rooms — Kavya, Isaioli and Calanjali — feature........

    © The Better India