Travel better with Urbanaut

Events

EMBRACE - International Jazz Day Celebrations 2025

by Dorian House

Apr 25 - Apr 26INR 500.00 onwards

Experiences

Enjoy a farm-to-table meal, nestled in wilderness!

by Homegrown Produce LLP

Multiple DatesINR 1500.00 onwards

Eat / Drink

Villa Helena Heritage Guest House & Restaurant

by Mansi Reddy Quaint boutique hotel in a French style heritage building in White Town. The sprawling verandas are great for a coffee or an evening drink and dinner.

Solitude Farm of Auroville

by Mansi Reddy Permaculture farm with a farm-to-table restaurant.

Palais de Mahe - CGH Earth Hotel, Pondicherry

by Mirasha Palais de Mahe is a stunning hotel with a dramatic courtyard pool, period furniture and a location close to the sea side. Try Earth Cafe - a café by the pool with quick bites and drinks, or Cocktail Lounge - the only real lounge in Pondicherry, on the terrace of the hotel.

by Mirasha Go to garden café with healthy, Mediterranean food in the heart of Auroville. This restaurant has a dedicated play area for children and is perfect for family outings!

Marc's Café Store

by Urbanaut Marc’s Café is a wonderland for coffee lovers who find themselves in Auroville. It’s run by a team of passionate roasters and coffee-makers, helmed by expert brewer Marc Tormo from Barcelona. The quaint café is a great place to get an afternoon pick-me-up in a friendly atmosphere.

by Mirasha Lovely little restaurant owned and run by an Indo-Italian couple. Tuscan chef, Leo, is an expert in Italian and pan-Asian cuisine. He attended a prestigious culinary school in Florence. Their specials menu is modified every week to accommodate fresh, local produce. Excellent desserts, especially the Tiramisu!

Bread & Chocolate

by Mansi Reddy Fresh and delicious pastries, breakfast, lunch and dessert - vegan and vegetarian friendly and pet-friendly too!

Sakura Sushi Auroville

by Mansi Reddy Tiny restaurant with fresh and light Japanese food. Many varieties of sushi, spring rolls, ramen and rice bowls but limited non-vegetarian options.

by Mansi Reddy Rooftop bar in White Town with views of the ocean.

Theevu Plage Beach Resort

by Mansi Reddy Fresh and delicious sea food on the beach!

THE SPOT, Pondicherry

by Urbanaut A gorgeous historical mansion is converted to a space to eat, drink, shop, work and more. They host regular live concerts and their location is fantastic - right on the sea facing promenade. Burgers, pizzas, great cheese, ice-creams - all served in a relaxed setting. Worth a visit.

by Mansi Reddy Pasta and pizza by Antonello! The pasta is all hand-made and organic, they also bake ciabatta bread and make fresh ravioli. Pizza is available on Wednesday and Saturdays or by order.

Stay

Villa Helena Heritage Guest House & Restaurant

by Mansi Reddy Quaint boutique hotel in a French style heritage building in White Town. The sprawling verandas are great for a coffee or an evening drink and dinner.

Palais de Mahe - CGH Earth Hotel, Pondicherry

by Mirasha Palais de Mahe is a stunning hotel with a dramatic courtyard pool, period furniture and a location close to the sea side. Try Earth Cafe - a café by the pool with quick bites and drinks, or Cocktail Lounge - the only real lounge in Pondicherry, on the terrace of the hotel.

windglaze studiopottery

by Urbanaut Windglaze has been around for more than a decade now, helmed by Puneet Brar and her inherent love for clay and ceramic design. Her studio and team specialise in creating beautifully designed home decor including mugs, teapots, plates and platters. You’ll also find some ceramic jewellery that’s quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen, not least because experimentation is the norm at this pottery studio. Whether you’re looking to learn from a master potter or want to buy some delightful decor for your home, you’d best stop by this studio when in Pondicherry.

Le French Connection

by Knowhere Travel Co This quaint, 100-year-old four-bedroom home is located in the French quarter of Pondicherry with tasteful rooms and furniture that has been in the family for generations.

Le Dupleix, Pondicherry

by Urbanaut The grande dame of boutique hotels in Pondy, Le Dupleix is a gorgeous heritage property in White Town. They have a lovely courtyard and a few of their rooms are annexed to the main building (and sometimes cheaper).

Gratitude Heritage

by Mansi Reddy Quaint and comfortable heritage hotel in White Town.

by Mirasha KARIAPPA HOUSE is a cluster of interconnected houses in a half acre land, interspersed with tropical gardens and courtyards and a covered swimming pool. Two of these are restored Tamil Houses, the main house is re-created in a typical Franco-tamil style and the more contemporary 1970s addition has been modified into a bungalow which is called MANTRA.

La Closerie Pondichery Bay of Bengal

by Mansi Reddy Cosy and modern boutique hotel just off the promenade in White Town. Be warned, service isn’t top of the line but the property itself is gorgeous.

The Danish Court

by Knowhere Travel Co Set on the shores of the Coromandel coastline is a stunning heritage 4-bedroom beach house restored tastefully, and is the best place from which to explore this Danish colony and all its secrets.

Do

Auroville Botanical Gardens

by Urbanaut A stunning conservation effort undertaken in 2000 to protect the disappearing Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest of the Coromandel Coast, the gardens have been painstakingly developed by volunteers over the years. The result is a verdant, thriving green soace with more than 310 tree species, a nursery, a vegetable seed conservation garden and even a small cafe serving local food.

Kallialay Surf School

by Mansi Reddy India’s first surf school, great place for a morning surf lesson.

by Mansi Reddy Food and flower market that’s been open for over 100 years. If it’s fresh and local, they have it!

SVARAM - Musical Instruments and Research

by Mansi Reddy Sound healing and therapy, musical instruments and sound garden

Golden Bridge Pottery

by Mirasha A pottery studio founded by Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith in 1971. This prestigious institute for pottery attracts students from all over the world.

by Gianfrancesco Perrone Large and mostly destroyed ruins of an old Muslim fort. The fort in itself is interesting, but nothing spectacular. However the location is the most interesting part with some backwaters just next to the fort and an amazingly long (and clean) beach bang in front of the fort. Beautiful! This visit can be clubbed with the New Sun Restaurant also listed under Pondicherry. They are 10mins away from each other. Morning fort and beach. Lunch on the way back to Pondicherry at New Sun!

windglaze studiopottery

by Urbanaut Windglaze has been around for more than a decade now, helmed by Puneet Brar and her inherent love for clay and ceramic design. Her studio and team specialise in creating beautifully designed home decor including mugs, teapots, plates and platters. You’ll also find some ceramic jewellery that’s quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen, not least because experimentation is the norm at this pottery studio. Whether you’re looking to learn from a master potter or want to buy some delightful decor for your home, you’d best stop by this studio when in Pondicherry.

by Mansi Reddy Scuba Diving and Freediving centre just north of Pondicherry! With a focus on education and cultivating marine awareness, Eternal Divers are a great place to learn to dive or to do fun dives or get your advance certification, in both fresh and salt water. They are the only Freediving centre in the country. They also sell diving equipment, can teach differently abled divers and offer an underwater meditation course!

THE SPOT, Pondicherry

by Urbanaut A gorgeous historical mansion is converted to a space to eat, drink, shop, work and more. They host regular live concerts and their location is fantastic - right on the sea facing promenade. Burgers, pizzas, great cheese, ice-creams - all served in a relaxed setting. Worth a visit.

Auroville Visitors Center

by Mansi Reddy Green and peaceful campus with cafes and shops, the perfect introduction to Auroville

Hand Block Printing Studio

by Mirasha Learn hand block printing from a Master printer. This unit makes block printed fabric for a few local designers. In their free time they can arrange for visitors to come and print their own items. INR 800 for Children’s T-shirt printing and INR 1000 for Adult T-shirt printing. Bags and stoles available as well.

Real local

by Mansi Reddy Unassuming roadside shack with authentic Tamil sea food cooked on a wood fire.

Sree Andhra Tiffins

by Mansi Reddy Authentic andhra food in heritage town, vegetarian food only. No frills.

by Mirasha Pure vegetarian South Indian food for those who would like a taste of local cuisine.

Indian Coffee House

by Mirasha Although there are many ICHs all over India, this one is special. Located in the middle of the commercial zone in a recently restored Franco-Tamil building. It is referred to in the beginning of the book “Life of Pi”.

Buy

Marbling Department - Sri Aurobindo Ashram

by Mirasha The ancient art of marbling was first practised in Japan in the 9th century. It consists of producing flowing patterns by means of colours on water and impressing paper or silk on the water to capture this pattern. Established in 1965, the marbling unit now produces sarees, scarves, dupattas and many more items on pure silk or pure silk chiffon, for sale locally and abroad.

Laboratoires Senteurs

by Mirasha A perfumery which was founded in 1958 by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. They offer a range of locally sourced essential oils, perfumes, and natural compounds. They also offer handmade or hand painted handkerchiefs, sarees, and dress materials made by their department.

Via Pondichéry

by Mirasha This shop is owned and operated by a local designer. Their unique curios and accessories are funky, cool, and stylish!

by Mansi Reddy Curated lifestyle store with some of Auroville’s finest ceramics, musicals instruments, clothing, cosmetics and artisan products from around the country.

by Mansi Reddy Pasta and pizza by Antonello! The pasta is all hand-made and organic, they also bake ciabatta bread and make fresh ravioli. Pizza is available on Wednesday and Saturdays or by order.

Naushad Ali - Designer store

by Mirasha This designer needs no introduction. His effortless and ethical designs have been showcased at the Lakmé Fashion Week multiple times!

by Mirasha A home lighting store owned by a French couple. These lamps are handmade with a keen eye for detail!

Meraki (Lifestyle Store)

by Mirasha A lifestyle store with jewellery, clothing and accessories.

Hand Block Printing Studio

by Mirasha Learn hand block printing from a Master printer. This unit makes block printed fabric for a few local designers. In their free time they can arrange for visitors to come and print their own items. INR 800 for Children’s T-shirt printing and INR 1000 for Adult T-shirt printing. Bags and stoles available as well.

The Little Pondicherrian (Casablanca)

by Mirasha Low impact and all-organic baby clothing and accessories with an Indo-French twist. Chic French cuts in premium Indian cotton. Colourful, stylish and sustainable. Also available online. Made with pride in India!