For those who want to get charged religiously and spiritually in Pondicherry, there are the temples, some of them dating back to the 10th Century AD Chola period. The Manakula Vinayagar Koil is more than 300 years old and is dedicated to Ganesha with a golden spire and walls portraying forty different forms of Ganesha. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is located on M.G.Road, and is believed to be the oldest temple in town, dating back to 600 AD. The temple built in the typical Dravidian style, is complete with brightly colored ‘gopuram’ and sculpted pillars.
Another temple Kanniga Parameswari Temple, dedicated to the goddess Shakti is unique as it is strongly influenced by the French and Tamil architectural style,  with arched walls, ionic columns, stained glass windows,  traditional granite pillars and the sanctum sanctorum, which has with typical Tamil design and features.

A temple worth visiting is the Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple, located in a small town called ‘Villianur’, 11 km from puducherry. The main shrine housing the ‘Shivlinga’ and the shrines dedicated to the Devi and Murugan date back to the 12th century Chola period. The annual Temple Car Festival is held in the months of May and June where a large crowd of devotees pull of a 15 metre tall chariot through the streets. During French colonial rule, the Governor of Pondicherry used to join this very procession and actively participate in the drawing of the chariot through the streets.

For Churches you have the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus located on Subbayah Salai, is a  white and brown neo-gothic church and is one of Pondicherry’s finest. It was built by French missionaries in the 1700’s in Neo-Gothic style, with towers flanking a central gable and stained glass windows on the side and a cemetery which has some interesting tombs with ornate marble decorations on the southern boulevard. Located on rue Dumas, the Church of the Capuchins, is one of the first churches to be built in Pondicherry and houses an orphanage these days.

The Notre Dame de’, located on Mission Street, was built in 1791 in the place of a former church. The interior design consists of eight barrel vaults and a central dome pierced with eight circular openings. The Notre Dame des Anges, The Church of our Lady of the Angels on rue Romain Rolland was built in 1852 in the Greek Roman architectural style and is also famous for its rare oil painting of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was a gift from the French emperor, Napoleon III.

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, is located at Villianur, a small town 11 km. from puducherry. Erected in 1876, it is modeled on that of the Basilica in France and has a statue of Notre Dame which was donated by the French Government a year later. A curious feature here is the Church tank, which is usually common in all the Hindu temples.

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