Pondicherry

During the colonial era, the French divided the city layout along racial lines using a central drainage canal: ​White Town (La Ville Blanche): The coastal side reserved for the French. It features European-style grid streets, pastel-yellow facades, heavy compound walls, and arched windows. ​Black Town (La Ville Noire): The inland side where the local Tamil population lived. It features traditional Tamil architecture with Thinnai (raised brick verandas) and large wooden pillars. ​Today, this layout offers an amazing architectural walk where you can cross a street and instantly shift from a European vibe to a traditional South Indian town.

Yes, in many subtle ways. You will still find streets named Rue (like Rue Romain Rolland), older locals who speak fluent French, and the iconic French game of Pétanque played in local parks. The police officers even wear distinct red kepis (caps) that closely resemble traditional French military and police headwear.

Located just outside the main town, Auroville (the City of Dawn) is an experimental township founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as "The Mother"), the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo. ​It is designed as an international community where people from all over the world live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, politics, and nationalities. At its center stands the Matrimandir, a colossal golden sphere containing a silent meditation chamber with the world's largest optically perfect glass globe.

Founded in 1926 by the Indian philosopher, nationalist, and yogi Sri Aurobindo, the ashram became a major spiritual hub. Sri Aurobindo had sought political asylum in French Pondicherry to escape British arrest. The ashram focuses on "Integral Yoga" and spiritual evolution. Today, thousands of visitors visit the Samadhi (resting place) of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother to meditate in its peaceful, flower-adorned courtyard.