Planning the coastal drive from Chennai to Puducherry

The usual way to drive from Chennai to Puducherry is along the coast. It is a straightforward drive that is easy to break with a stop or two.

• The East Coast Road connects Chennai with Puducherry and continues south to Cuddalore and beyond.[1]

Mahabalipuram is the natural stop on the way. Allow a few hours if you want to see the main monuments without rushing.

• The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, built under the Pallava dynasty, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.[2]
• The best-known monuments include the Shore Temple, the Five Rathas and the Descent of the Ganges, also called Arjuna's Penance.[2]
• The monuments are about 60 km south of Chennai.[2]

Puducherry's old town is compact and pleasant to explore on foot. If you plan to visit Auroville, it is worth keeping the car for part of a day.

• Puducherry was laid out as a French settlement from 1674, and a canal separated the French Quarter from the Indian Quarter.[3]
• Auroville is an experimental township founded in 1968, with the Matrimandir at its centre.[4]

• Leave Chennai early if you want unhurried time at Mahabalipuram and still reach Puducherry in daylight.
• Carry water and sun protection for walking around the monuments.
• If you are returning the same or next day, a round trip keeps the car with you.