Pondicherry is a place of many faiths. Places of worship dominate the landscape-there are 350 temples-big and small, in and around pondy. There are another 99 in karaikal A large number of these have been built by the chola kings between the 10th and 12th centuries and most are dedicated to village deities

• Churches should be on your agenda. One of the most beautiful is the church of the sacred Heart of Jesus located on South Boulevard, which is built in the Gothic style and has three stained-glass panels in a corridor behind the altar, depicting the life of Christ.

• The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges on Rue Dumas was built in 1865.The church has an oil painting of Our Lady of Assumption that was donated by Napoleon ill.

• The Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes situated in Villiyannur on the outskirts of Pondicherry is built on the same pattern as the Basilica at Lourdes in France.

• At Villiannur (10 km from Pondy), you can enjoy the architecturally fine Sri gokilambal Thirukameswara Temple, Thousands of devotees converge here for a ten-day annual festival or Brahmotsavam that is held during full moon in May or June.

• The 15-metre tall temple chariot is taken out on a procession by a devout crowd. The breathtaking Ousteri lake nearby is spread over several acres and is home to some rare varieties of birds.

• The Varadaraja Temple,although consecrated to Lord Shiva, is famous for its shrine dedicated to Saneeswaran (Saturn). It’s the most famous Saturn temple in India.

• The Masthan Saheb Darga is dedicated to Masthan Saheb Syed Dawood Buhari, a Sufi saint who came to Karaikal from Bushara two centuries ago. People attribute many miracles to him and the 170-year-old Kandhuri Festival, held in November, commemorates his life.