Introduction
The Promenade Beach is quite the tourist attraction locally. The 1.2km long stretch begins at the War Memorial and continues until Dupleix Park on Goubert Avenue. It is located in the city of Puducherry, India and is a famous stretch of beach front that runs along the Bay of Bengal.
Natural Features
The beach is known for its beautiful coastline, shimmering sand, ocean sprays, azure waters, etc. The beach offers a great deal of exotic scenery, incredible landscapes, amazing views of the sunset and the beautiful sea. It has a nice ambiance and is a great spot for nature lovers and photographers. It contains a lot of big rocks along the coast line, hence, the name Rock Beach has also been given to it.
Other Attractions in and around the Beach
Not just the beach but the area in general is quite famous since there are a lot of other attractions nearby as well. All of them collectively adding great appeal to the city.
French War Memorial
It is a historical war memorial built to commemorate the former residents of French India that tragically lost their lives in World War I. It was erected in 1937 and inaugurated by the Governor Crocicchia on April 3, 1938. It contains a bronze plaque that lists the names of the soldiers that died in the First World War.
In subsequent years, more plaques have been added, with lists of soldiers that died in the Second World War, the French War in Indochina and the Algerian War. The monument, though located in India, is property of the French. The memorial is located opposite to the Gandhi statue on Goubert Avenue in Puducherry. It is located near the Promenade Beach.
Mahatma Gandhi Statue
The statue was made by eminent artist Roy Choudhary. Its construction took almost a year to complete and was finally inaugurated on 26 January, 1965. It is surrounded by beautiful white carved pillars which were brought all the way from Gingee Fort which is around 70 km from the heart of the city.
The statue is 13 feet (4m) tall in height. There also existed a tunnel below the Gandhi Statue. Efforts had been made to excavate it but after cases of death due to suffocation the tunnel was shut down. It is situated on the seaside Promenade Pondicherry.
Dupleix Statue
The renowned statue was built in honour of Joseph Francois Dupleix. He was one of the most famous French governors of Pondicherry. He attempted to prevent colonisation of the region by the Britishers by forming alliances with local princes. Dupleix resigned from his post and returned back to France after their defeat in the Second Carnatic War.
The statue stands 2.88m tall and stands on a granite column. There’s also a children’s park located nearby which helps attract spectators to the monument. The attraction is situated in Duppuyet in Goubert Avenue in the children’s park.
Hotels, Cafes..
In addition to sights of historical significance there are a great deal of modern amenities and facilities around the beach area as well. Le Cafe is a popular name on the block and resonates well with foodies. It also offers rooftop seating as well. The exotic beauty and surreal scenery on offer at the location is enough to set the mood right.
The Promenade Pondicherry is another great facility for tourists. Many of the rooms offer scenic views of the Bay of Bengal. A luxury hotel that can be found in the ‘French Quarters’ of the town. Apart from a great location it also has a good reputation for service and is a great place to stay.
Other Attractions
Apart from all the aforementioned attractions there are a few more, such as the Pondicherry Museum, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Goubert Market, Park Monument, the heritage Town Hall, Statue of Joan of Arc, Old Lighthouse, Chief Secretariat, etc.
For Tourists
Timings
6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Getting There
The area is easily accessible to everyone. It is located near the M.G. Road area, adjacent to Goubert avenue. One can easily get there using local transport. It is just 3.5 km from the Pondicherry Bus Station. Also owing to its popularity almost all cab drivers and auto drivers will know the place and how to get there making it easier to reach the destination.
Recommended For
The exotic location is a great place for anyone looking to unwind and relax. A great place for photography and loaded with social media worthy material. So all those that love posting travel content on social media can definitely visit. Apart from visiting all the aforementioned tourist attractions it’s a great place to just take a walk or jog, swim, play volleyball and basically all other activities that beach lovers enjoy doing.
Final Thoughts
A great travel destination for tourists from anywhere. A popular spot in the Pondicherry region is also even referred to by many as the Pondicherry Beach owing to it being situated in close proximity to the union territory. It has such a wide range of places to offer visitors with diverse interests and is one of those places that can appeal to pretty much anyone.
