Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township in Viluppuram district. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (since her definitive settling in India called "The Mother") and designed by architect Roger Anger. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.

It was conceived by The Mother as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection". The Peace area in which the structure is situated is characterized by three main features: the Matrimandir itself with its twelve gardens,twelve petals and future lakes, the Amphitheater and the Banyan Tree. Inside the Matrimandir, a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air- conditioned chamber of polished white marble - "A place to find one's consciousness". At its centre, a 70 cm crystal ball in a gold mount and glow with a single ray of sunlight that is directed on the globe from the top of structure. According to The Mother, this represents "a symbol of future realisation."

The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Puducherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serinity Beach. There are a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century churches in Puducherry as well as a number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade beach such as the Children’s Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Puducherry Museum, and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.

The beach-comber and the sun-worshipper have miles of nirvana in Pondicherry. The waters are cool and soothing. The sands clear and sparkling. Many resorts, cottages, cafes and bars command an excellent view of the sea. A ten-minute drive to the north of the town brings you to these virgin sands. The ambience is well-captured in its name. You can touch the calm. Ideal for a quick dip, a touch of the sun and a cool reprieve in the shade.

Gandhi Statue is a four-meter statue of Mahatma Gandhi is surrounded by eight granite pillars, which were supposedly brought from Gingee, a fort some 70 km from Puducherry. Located across the street from the Gandhi statue is the statue of Jawaharlal Nehru. It is also flanked by four pillars from Gingee. The space in front plays host to various cultural, musical and commercial activities through the year.

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi, 13 ft height stands on the beach front, surrounded by carved monolithic pillars built by the famous sculptor Roy Choudhary from Madras School of Art and Crafts. There is also the “French War Memorial” commemorating the sacrifice of the soldiers in the First World War. Gandhi statue in the beach road is one of the important tourist destinations in Pondicherry. See side buildings are constructed in a way that they do not affect the natural beauty of the beach.

Puducherry Light house was used for the first time on July 1, 1836 and was continued to be used up to the year 1979. This now- abandoned lighthouse is occupied by the Department of Customs and Excise. The Light House which stands 29m. high is further down the beach and is over 150 years old.
The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambience. Puducherry is also known as La Côte d'Azur de l'Est meaning "The French Riviera of the East". There are a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century churches in Puducherry as well as a number of heritage buildings and monuments.Puducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Puducherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house are very popular.

Chunnambar Back Water is one of the major tourist spot in Puducherry and it can be reached from Ariyankuppam. It is at a distance of 7 km from Puducherry and 1.5 km from Ariyankuppam. Chunnambar is a scenic back water and has a boat club, retaurant and romantic cottages and a tree house too.

The geography of Puducherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Puducherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found. One such inlet, Chunnambar is a popular tourist destination. Chunnambar Island is about 15km away from the main city and is an island flanked between Bay of Bengal and Chunnambar Backwater. You would need to take a boat to be here. Puducherry New Harbour is located at Periya Veerapattinam closer to the Chunnambar Backwater. From here, one can see the New Light House, and The Notre Dame des Anges located in Puducherry Beach.