Pondicherry to Bhopal Flights

Raja Bhoj International Airport (IATA: BHO), commonly known as Bhopal Airport, is situated in Gandhi Nagar area of Bhopal. Named after Maharaja Raja Bhoj, it is approximately 12 km away from Bhopalís city centre. Recently, the airport was the recipient of advanced technology, with DVOR (Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range) and DME (Distance Measuring Unit) being installed in December 2022. Bhopal Airport is well connected with the other major cities of India, such as Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Hyderabad, etc. For Hajj pilgrims, Bhopal operates chartered flights to Jeddah through Saudi airlines. It has a single terminal that controls both domestic and international flight operations. Fourteen check-in and 10 immigration counters are available at this terminal. Primary airline carriers operating via the airport include IndiGo, Alliance Air and Air India. Bhopal Bus Stand and Bhopal Railway Stations are both located at about 12 km from the airport. Private taxis are available for hiring at the terminals to reach the desired destination. Services and facilities such as complimentary luggage trolleys and wheelchairs for aged and physically challenged people are also offered by this airport. Some other facilities such as child care rooms, medical aid, and pre-paid taxi counters are also available here. The airport premise also has a lot of shopping areas as well as restaurants and cafeterias for travellers to enjoy. Good hotel properties near the airport are Devyog Inn, Continental Inn, Shree Palace, Amar Vilas, etc.

Bhopal is the capital city of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It was formed in 1972 and is well known as a place marked by the history of various dynasties. Raja Bhoj was the one who founded the city of Bhopal in the 11th century, which was further established by Dost Muhammad, an Afghan traveller. Later his descendants built it into a beautiful city. The city is home to prominent lakes, beautiful old mosques, and legends of past aristocratic rulers and begums engraved on the walls of its various palaces. Bhopal is categorised as a ëY-Classí city which contributes significantly to the Indian economy. It houses several large and small scale industries such as medicine manufacturing, electrical goods, chemicals, cotton, jewellery, flour milling, cloth weaving, cotton dying, painting, sealing wax, etc. Bhopalís exports amount to around INR 2,300 crore. Some of Bhopalís local delicacies include bafla, seekh kabab, rogan josh, which is always rounded off with the famous Bhopali paan. Bhopal Utsav Mela is a festival where different types of attractions, shops, and food stalls are built to entertain and amuse lakhs of visitors. Other cultural festivals include National Drama Festival, Lokrang, Summer Festival, Dhrupad Samaroh and Bharat Bhavan. Hindi is the most spoken language in Bhopal along with Urdu and English. Bhopal has excruciatingly hot summers and cold and pleasant winters. It receives an average rainfall of about 1110 mm. Temperatures in summers touch 40∞C while it dips to 10∞C in winters, which is an ideal season to visit from a tourism perspective.

Pondicherry Airport (IATA: PNY) is located at the Lawspet area of Pondicherry, about 3 km away from Pondicherryís city centre. It is controlled by the Airports Authority of India and houses charter flights and a local flying school along with connecting to various Indian cities. Its runway is 1500-m long and 30-m wide, and the airport uses the ëAerodromeí beacon as its navigational aid. There is one terminal at the airport for arrival and departure flights. It has the capacity to handle 300 passengers during rush hour. It has flights connecting cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc. The primary airline carrier operating via the airport is SpiceJet. Pondicherry Airport provides services and facilities such as assistance for differently abled people, drinking water cooler with RO filters, mobile charging points, trolleys, conveyor belts, tourist information centre, etc. The airport also offers shops and conveniences for travellers to enjoy some leisurely time inside the airport premise. The Pondicherry Railway Station is located about 7.4 km away from the airport while the Pondicherry Bus Main Station is located 5 km away from the airport. Some good hotel properties near the airport include D Inn, Prince Park Farm House, Ginger Pondicherry, Karai, Le Royal Park, etc.

Pondicherry, located in South India, is a Union territory located 151 km from the metropolitan city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Now called ëPuducherry,í it was formed in 1962 and is one of the former French Indian colonies. Also referred to as the ëFrench Riviera of the East,í Pondicherry is known for beautiful beaches, old-fashioned colonial houses, lush green avenues, making it a top tourist destination across the globe. The earliest rulers of Pondicherry were the Pallavas from 325 to 900 A.D. Later, dynasties such as the Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagris and the Bijapuris ruled the region. The Portuguese setup their colonies first in Pondicherry in the early 16th century, followed by the Dutch, Danes, French and ultimately the British. It was Frenchman Francois Martin who laid the feature of the town predominantly. Being situated near the sea, Pondicherryís climate is warm and humid whilst not being extremely hot. The weather is pleasing and comfortable for tourists to have a good time, which can be best enjoyed from November to March. The temperature during these months hovers between 21∞C and 32∞C. Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam are the most widely spoken languages in Pondicherry along with French and English. Some important festivals celebrated in the territory include Pongal, Easter, Bastille Day, Villianur Temple Car Festival, along with local the usual Hindu festivals. ëPuducheri Bommaií, a doll made by the locals, is an excellent representation of their interest in art. Pondicherryís cuisines have a strong French and Tamil influence and some local delicacies include tandoori potato, soya dosa, assad, coconut curry, stuffed and curried vegetables, palpayasam, podanlangkai, etc.