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Here Are India's Best Cities To Grow Old In

Here Are India's Best Cities To Grow Old In
Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, near Puducherry in South India. The Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere in the center of town.
Felix Hug via Getty Images
Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, near Puducherry in South India. The Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere in the center of town.

The decision to choose a city to retire in India is overshadowed by many concerns -- standard of living, distance from one’s children, adequate healthcare facilities, crime rate and weather. The list is varied and idiosyncratic.

Happily, given the growth in retirement homes within the country, and easy accessibility by road, rail or even air, there are several cities competing for attention, along with the standard favourites (Chandigarh and Coimbatore, we mean you).

Here are 9 cities that might help your decision.

Chandigarh
Himanshu Khagta via Getty Images
Flanked by Mohali and Panchkula on either side, tri-city Chandigarh, or the City Beautiful as it also known, is a senior citizen's haven. The first planned city in the country, it lies in close proximity to the Capital, and is well connected by road and rail (metro transport is also on the rails for the city). It also features an international airport that was launched last year in September.
Relatively pollution-free, Chandigarh also boasts the highest per capita income in the country, and relatively low crime rate. Evening walks, especially during springtime are pleasant -- the city's residents take special pride in their gardens, which are in full bloom during this season. Or one can frequent Sukhna lake (featured in the photograph) as well.Chandigarh also has excellent medical facilities, and is dotted with a few clubs for people to fraternise.
Goa
Photo by learning.photography (Gautam Chakrabarti) - India via Getty Images
The infectious spirit of Susegad has charmed many a visitor into eking out a retirement spot in Goa over the years. Though vouched as a popular party spot for youngsters, it also has many serene beaches such as Mandrem, Cola, and Butterfly beach. Places like Assagaon, Nachinola and Siridao are quiet, pollution-free and safe with a smattering of restaurants and pubs to visit. Purchasing a home (especially in Southern Goa) is still affordable, even though prices are on the rise.Public transport can prove challenging, as can hiring domestic help.It is considered best to flee the city from April to June, during the peak of summer when it is unbearably hot. Goa is, however, beautiful in the monsoon season, and has an idyllic climatic setting from October to mid-March.
Pondicherry
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Recently, Pondicherry has been opening its doors to several retirement homes (including Aishwaryam, Covai and Serene Pelican (an ongoing project)) that offer a healthy, and active lifestyle to many senior citizens. The former French colony, which is popular its laid-back lifestyle still features a heavy French influence, making the place a popular hub for foreign tourists, especially French-speaking visitors and expatriates.According to Aloke Bajpai, CEO & Co-founder, ixigo.com, Pondicherry is known for its spiritual connections (particularly Auroville), good infrastructure and medical facilities.According to Aloke Bajpai, CEO & Co-founder, ixigo.com, Pondicherry is known for its spiritual connections (particularly Auroville), good infrastructure and medical facilities.
Mysore
Photographed by Madhukar B Raju via Getty Images
For senior citizens who are looking to escape the chaos of Bengaluru without shifting to far away from family, Mysore provides a quieter, cheaper option with the additional benefit of amicable weather. It has also been ranked as India's cleanest city for the second year in a row according to this nationwide survey by the Urban Development (UD) ministry featured in Hindustan Times. It's also ideal for active yoga enthusiasts.
Pune
DraconianRain/Flickr
One of the many things that makes Pune an ideal city to live in after retirement (including the easy connectivity to Mumbai), is its all-year-round salubrious climate. Often tagged as the city for pensioners, it also has increasingly started featuring a healthy smattering of NRIs. For the avid explorer, the city's parameters are dotted with a plethora of hill stations and beaches alike (Travel search engine ixigo.com has also dubbed it one of the top ten places to retire). An emerging IT hub, the city is also gaining a reputation for quality and affordable medical aid. When it comes to real estate, while prices or rent on homes are unlikely to get any cheaper, the JLL India report lists Pune among the 10 cities in the country where realty investment is comes within an affordable range, according to this Indian Express report.
Dehradun
Jitendra Singh is a New Delhi / Shimla based Photojournalist via Getty Images
A traditional retirement city, Dehradun hasn't lost its popularity to other upcoming tier-2 cities. The recent development of luxury retirement home Antara by the Max Group (that also features two hospitals in Dehradun) has upped the city's allure to senior citizens. It is situated in close proximity to hindu holy cities Haridwar and Rishikesh, as well as several hill stations for the explorer. Well connected both by air and rail, the city also has a high per capita income, features excellent weather during the hot summer months, and low crime rate.
Port Blair
Puneet Vikram Singh, Nature and Concept photographer, via Getty Images
Selected by the Modi Government as one of the hundred cities to be developed as a smart city, Port Blair is more of a traveller's retirement haven, than that of an individual looking to stick close to his/ her family. Flights are expensive, even though connectivity to different areas – Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakapatnam – is very efficient. Private transport is the best way to travel in the city, although rickshaws are aplenty. A rich mix of people is available here to fraternitise with, and one can find several close communities to blend into. In a nutshell, Port Blair has all the pleasant beachy settings of Goa sans the late nights, and clubs.
Coimbatore
Surajram Kumaravel via Getty Images
The second largest city in Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore has allegedly emerged as one of the top retirement cities in the country owing largely to its excellent healthcare facilities and pleasant climatic conditions, as well as the development of several retirement communities.According to Business Today, land is also relatively cheaper as compared to other industrial hubs such as Chennai and Sriperumbudur. Economic Times recently released a report on people looking to purchase property.
Kasauli
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Initially established by the British as a colonial hill station, Kasauli is a quiet understated town for anyone looking to enjoy a peaceful ambience to retire in. Located at a height of approximately 1,800m, it lies 65 kilometres away from Chandigarh, directly off the NH1, making it an ideal home to enjoy the summer (winters can get very cold). Joining the Kasauli Club (established in 1880 by service personnel and civilians) is a valuable form of entertainment and socialising. While healthcare facilities are available, a recently built bypass by the Jaypee group has made travelling to and fro from Kasauli to nearby Chandigarh and other neighbouring cities easier.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.