
Photo: The Mothers Symbol This PNG graphic was created with GIMP., Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
One of the most common reason to visit Pondicherry is to visit this ashram of the spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo. It grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he settled in Pondicherry in 1910. On 24 November 1926, after a major spiritual realisation, Sri Aurobindo withdrew from public view in order to continue his spiritual work. At this time he handed over the full responsibility for the inner and outer lives of the sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) and the ashram to his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa, better known as "The Mother".
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community and ashram in Pondicherry (Puducherry), India. It was founded in 1926 by the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo and his spiritual collaborator Mirra Alfassa, known as "The Mother". Over the years, the Ashram which also houses the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, became the institutional centre of a modern spiritual movement based on Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. It became one of India’s best-known spiritual communities, attracting devotees and visitors from around the world.
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Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, it is a popular pilgrimage site and tourist destination in Pondicherry due to its proximity to Promenade Beach.
An art and history museum with its collection of fine lost wax bronzes from the Chola period.
One of the oldest libraries in India.
There's a white monument at the centre of the park called Aayi Mandapam. It was built during the time of Napoleon III. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city during his reign. It was named after a lady courtesan named Āyi. She destroyed her own house to erect a water reservoir to supply water to the city.
A lighthouse was constructed in Pondicherry in the nineteenth century by the French rulers. A new lighthouse was constructed in the 20th century by the Government of India.
Pondicherry Beach
A 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, which starts from War Memorial and ends at Dupleix Park on Goubert Avenue.