The place is located 10 kms north of Pondicherry town, Auroville is envisioned as a universal town, where people from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs, can live in peace and harmony. The construction of this 'universal town' was started in 1968 under the guidance of the mother, a paries- Born painter-musician who become sri Aurobindo's disciple and close companion from 1924 till his death in 1950. 

The Ashram is situated in the eastern part of Pondicherry. A tour of this samadhi of Shri Aurobindo and his chief disciple, the Mother is worth making. It is not only a quiet place of retreat but also a vibrant center of life. It comprises of almost 1500 members who live here and practice Sadhna for the evolution of another way of life, which seeks a higher spiritual consciousness. Many tourists travel to Pondicherry to visit this internationally renowned Ashram.
 

These gardens were planned by C.S. Perrotet and laid out in 1826. They have been meticulously maintained ever since. The garden preserves a large variety of exotic species of plants.
 

The Museum is situated in the Government Park. The Pondicherry Museum has a good sculpture gallery and a section of archaeological finds from the Roman settlement at Arikamedu. There is also a French section charting the history of the colony.There is also a superb collection of snail shells from the Pondicherry region.

 The large number of 18th and 19th century Churches in Pondicherry. The churches worth visit are: The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception, the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, the Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes and the Chapel of the Sisters of Cluny.

Pondicherry has a lovely beach, which is about 1.5 Kms long. One can relax, sunbathe, swim, or take a stroll along the promenade.

Chennai has an international airport which directly connects to the highway to Pondicherry. Chennai airport is 135 kms from Pondicherry and flights connect to major cities in India and directly to destinations in Europe, Asian, Middle East and the US. Direct flights from Europe are by British Airways, Lufthansa and Sabena.

Pondicherry is connected with Chennai via by the Pondicherry Express. Villupuram is 36 kms from the city.

Pondicherry is very well connected by bus services to Chennai, Nagapattanam, Karaikal, Tanjavur, Chidambaram and to major South Indian cities including neighboring States.

Pondicherry can be considered to be very hot for a typical westerner. Given that, the best time to make a trip to Pondicherry for a westerner would be the winter, any time between November and February. Also the period between November and March is the most eventful and the busiest time in the Ashram as 90% of the important days for the Ashram fall in this period.