Pondicherry Diaries: A Day Full of Explorations, Pondicherry, India

Our plan for the day was jam-packed with exciting places to visit. In the morning, we set out to explore Serenity Beach, Maitri Mandir at the Auroville, and The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church at noon. For our beach adventure in the evening, we planned to explore Pondi Marina Beach and a nearby viewpoint.

To make the most of our morning, we booked a car to cover all the planned spots. During our first stop at the Serenity Beach, Mihir faced a hiccup. While climbing rocks for a better view, he got stuck halfway due to a back muscle pull. After a quick massage and some muscle relaxant medicine, we managed to continue with our plan.

Serenity Beach is known for water sports and surfing activities. Despite not being the cleanest beach, it was overall good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t spend much time there due to Mihir’s pain.

Next on our list was Auroville. The cab dropped us off at the parking, and from there, we had to walk to reach the Visitors Centre. En route, we had coconut water from a refreshment store, which was also selling nimbu pani/soda, packaged food, and drinks. After spending 30 minutes watching a documentary on Auroville, Maitri Mandir, and its model, we began our walk towards the Maitri Mandir viewpoint. The walk was scenic but tiring, especially under the scorching sun. Unfortunately, it was closed for inside chamber visits, but we enjoyed the viewpoint. White returning, we opted for the minibus ride over walking. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).