Puducherry (), also known as Pondicherry () or Pondichéry, is a union territory of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, consisting of four small geographically unconnected districts. It was formed out of four territories of former
French India
French India, formally the ( en, French Settlements in India), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian Subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de ...
, namely Pondichéry (Pondicherry; now Puducherry),
Karikal
Karaikal ( /kʌdɛkʌl/, french: Karikal /kaʁikal/) is a town of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. Karaikal was sold to the French by the Rajah of Thanjavur and became a French Colony in 1739. The French held control, with occasi ...
Yanaon
Yanaon or Yanam was one of the five principal settlements of French India between 1731 and 1954.
Early years Reason for European interests
The French in their earlier records do mention of their interest in establishing trade in the Northern ...
(now
Yanam
Yanam (Telugu: ''యానాం'') is a town located in the Yanam district in Puducherry. It has a population of 35,000 and is entirely surrounded by Andhra Pradesh. It was formerly a French colony for nearly 200 years, and, though united wi ...
), excluding
Chandannagar
Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...
(Chandernagore), and it is named after the largest district, Puducherry, which was also the capital of French India. Historically known as Pondicherry (), the territory changed its official name to Puducherry on 20 September 2006.
The Union Territory of Puducherry lies in the southern part of the Indian Peninsula. The areas of
Puducherry district
The Puducherry district, also known by its former name Pondicherry district, is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry in South India. The district occupies an area of , spread over 11 non-contiguous enclaves lying on o ...
and
Karaikal district
Karaikal district ( French: ''District de Karikal'') is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
Geography
Karaikal district occupies an area of .
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was f ...
are bound by the state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
, while
Yanam district
Yanam district is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry in India.
Geography
Yanam district occupies an area of ,
It is located south of Kakinada port on the north bank of Godavari river ...
and
Mahé district
Mahé district ( ml, മയ്യഴി ജില്ല) is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry, India. It consists of the whole of the Mahé region. Mahé is the smallest district of India by size. The total area of ...
are enclosed by the states of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, respectively. Puducherry is the 29th most populous of the 36 states and union territories of India, and the third most densely populated union territory. It has a gross domestic product (GDP) of and ranks 25th in India.
History
The earliest recorded history of the municipality of Puducherry can be traced to the second century CE. The ''
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' ( grc, Περίπλους τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς Θαλάσσης, ', modern Greek '), also known by its Latin name as the , is a Greco-Roman periplus written in Koine Greek that describes navigation and ...
'' mentions a marketplace named ''Poduke'' (ch 60).
G. W. B. Huntingford
George Wynn Brereton Huntingford (19 November 1901 – 19 February 1978) was an English linguist, anthropologist and historian. He lectured in East African languages and cultures at SOAS, University of London from 1950 until 1966.Arikamedu
Arikamedu is an archaeological site in Southern India, in Kakkayanthope, Ariyankuppam Commune, Puducherry.
Sir Mortimer Wheeler 1945, and Jean-Marie Casal conducted archaeological excavations there in 1947–1950. The site was identified as th ...
(now part of
Ariyankuppam
Ariyankuppam (also known by its former name Ariancoupom) is a Town, Commune, Sub-Taluk, and Assembly Constituency in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. The streets in Ariyankuppam are straight and in grid form, similar to Puducherry boule ...
). Huntingford noted that Roman pottery was found at Arikamedu in 1937. In addition,
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
excavations between 1944 and 1949 showed that it was "a trading station to which goods of Roman manufacture were imported during the first half of the 1st century" Subsequent investigation by Vimala Begley from 1989 to 1992 modified this assessment, and now place the period of occupation from the third or second century BCE to the eighth century CE.
In 1674, the municipality of Pondicherry (Pondichéry) became a French colony in the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
. Together with
Chandernagor
Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is par ...
Yanam
Yanam (Telugu: ''యానాం'') is a town located in the Yanam district in Puducherry. It has a population of 35,000 and is entirely surrounded by Andhra Pradesh. It was formerly a French colony for nearly 200 years, and, though united wi ...
(
Yanaon
Yanaon or Yanam was one of the five principal settlements of French India between 1731 and 1954.
Early years Reason for European interests
The French in their earlier records do mention of their interest in establishing trade in the Northern ...
) (since 1723),
Karaikal
Karaikal ( /kʌdɛkʌl/, french: Karikal /kaʁikal/) is a town of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. Karaikal was sold to the French by the Rajah of Thanjavur and became a French Colony in 1739. The French held control, with occasi ...
(Karikal) (since 1739) and
Masulipatam
Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar, is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the mandal headquarte ...
(1760), it formed the colony of
French India
French India, formally the ( en, French Settlements in India), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian Subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de ...
, under a single French governor in Pondicherry, although French rule over one or more of these enclaves was repeatedly interrupted by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
occupations. The territories of French India were completely transferred to the Republic of India ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' on 1 November 1954, and ''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
'' on 16 August 1962, when French India ceased to exist, becoming the present Indian union territory of Pondicherry, combining four coastal enclaves. The fifth,
Chandannagar
Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...
, merged with the state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
in 1954. Immediately after the ''de facto'' transfer, the area was renamed the State of Pondicherry by the “French Establishments (Change of Name) Order, 1954” issued by the
Ministry of External Affairs of India
The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; hi, विदेश मंत्रालय, Videśa Mantrālaya, translit-std=ISO) of India is the government agency responsible for implementing Indian foreign policy. The Ministry of Ext ...
. The State of Pondicherry continued to be under the direct control of Government of India under the aegis of the Ministry of External affairs until 31 August 1964. Meanwhile, with effect from 1 July 1963, the State of Pondicherry officially became the Union Territory of Pondicherry and after 31 August 1964 it came under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Until 2016, the ''de jure transfer day'' (i.e. 16th of August) was a public holiday with no official celebrations taking place. In 2016, Lt. Governor of Puducherry,
Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi (born 9 June 1949) is an Indian social activist, former-tennis player who became the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972 and was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 2 ...
, made it a holiday as “De Jure Transfer Day.”
Since 2010, ''de facto transfer day'' (i.e. 1st of November) has been celebrated as Liberation day throughout Puducherry. In 2014, Liberation day was declared as a public Holiday. This initiative was taken shortly after the
NDA
NDA may stand for:
Military
* National Defence Academy (India), a military academy in India
* National Defence Act, legislation for organizing and funding Canada's military
* National Defense Academy of Japan, a military academy in Japan
* Nig ...
government came to power in 2014 and newly appointed Lt. Governor A. K. Singh issued a notification regarding that decision of the central government.
Puducherry district
The Puducherry district, also known by its former name Pondicherry district, is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry in South India. The district occupies an area of , spread over 11 non-contiguous enclaves lying on o ...
(),
Karaikal district
Karaikal district ( French: ''District de Karikal'') is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
Geography
Karaikal district occupies an area of .
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was f ...
() and
Yanam district
Yanam district is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry in India.
Geography
Yanam district occupies an area of ,
It is located south of Kakinada port on the north bank of Godavari river ...
() on the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
and
Mahé district
Mahé district ( ml, മയ്യഴി ജില്ല) is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry, India. It consists of the whole of the Mahé region. Mahé is the smallest district of India by size. The total area of ...
() on the
Laccadive Sea
The Laccadive Sea or Lakshadweep Sea is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of Tamil Nadu. This war ...
, covering a total area of . Puducherry and Karaikal have the largest areas and population, and are both
enclaves
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, respectively. Its population, as per the 2011 Census, is 1,3,94,467. Puducherry is the smallest union territory in terms of sea coastline with 30.6km length.
Some of Puducherry's regions are themselves amalgamations of non-contiguous enclaves, often called "pockets" in India. The Puducherry region is made of 11 such pockets, some of which are very small and entirely surrounded by the territory of Tamil Nadu. Mahé region is made up of three pockets. This unusual geography is a legacy of the colonial period with Puducherry retaining the borders of former
French India
French India, formally the ( en, French Settlements in India), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian Subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de ...
.
All four regions of Puducherry are located in the coastal region. Five rivers in
Puducherry district
The Puducherry district, also known by its former name Pondicherry district, is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry in South India. The district occupies an area of , spread over 11 non-contiguous enclaves lying on o ...
, seven in
Karaikal district
Karaikal district ( French: ''District de Karikal'') is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
Geography
Karaikal district occupies an area of .
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was f ...
, two in
Mahé district
Mahé district ( ml, മയ്യഴി ജില്ല) is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry, India. It consists of the whole of the Mahé region. Mahé is the smallest district of India by size. The total area of ...
and one in
Yanam district
Yanam district is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry in India.
Geography
Yanam district occupies an area of ,
It is located south of Kakinada port on the north bank of Godavari river ...
drain into the sea, but none originates within the territory.
Districts of Union Territory of Puducherry
*
Puducherry district
The Puducherry district, also known by its former name Pondicherry district, is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry in South India. The district occupies an area of , spread over 11 non-contiguous enclaves lying on o ...
is an enclave of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
.
*
Karaikal district
Karaikal district ( French: ''District de Karikal'') is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
Geography
Karaikal district occupies an area of .
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was f ...
is an enclave of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
.
*
Mahé district
Mahé district ( ml, മയ്യഴി ജില്ല) is one of the four districts of the union territory of Puducherry, India. It consists of the whole of the Mahé region. Mahé is the smallest district of India by size. The total area of ...
is an enclave of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
.
*
Yanam district
Yanam district is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry in India.
Geography
Yanam district occupies an area of ,
It is located south of Kakinada port on the north bank of Godavari river ...
is an enclave of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
.
Demographics
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
is the major religion with 87.3% of the population adhering to it. Other religions include
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
(6.29%) and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
(6.05%).
Government and administration
Puducherry is a union territory of India rather than a state, which implies that governance and administration fall directly under federal authority. However, Puducherry is one of the three union territories in India (the others being
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and Jammu and Kashmir) that is entitled by a special constitutional amendment to have an elected legislative assembly and a cabinet of ministers, thereby conveying partial statehood. There has been some interest by the territory's government in receiving full statehood, but budgetary issues remain a consideration. Also, Mahe and Yanam may oppose such a change of status.
The central government is represented by the
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
, who resides at the Raj Nivas (Le Palais du Gouverneur) at the Park, the former palace of the French governor. The central government is more directly involved in the territory's financial well-being unlike states, which have a central grant that they administer. Consequently, Puducherry has at various times, enjoyed lower taxes, especially in the indirect category.
Special administration status
According to the Treaty of Cession of 1956, the four territories of former French India territorial administration are permitted to make laws with respect to specific matters. In many cases, such legislation may require ratification from the federal government or the assent of the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
.
Article II of the Treaty states:
(The Establishments will keep the benefit of the special administrative status which was in force prior to 1 November 1954. Any constitutional changes in this status which may be made subsequently shall be made after ascertaining the wishes of the people).
Languages
The most widely spoken first language is
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, which is native to % of the population. There are also speakers of
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
(%),
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
(in
Yanam
Yanam (Telugu: ''యానాం'') is a town located in the Yanam district in Puducherry. It has a population of 35,000 and is entirely surrounded by Andhra Pradesh. It was formerly a French colony for nearly 200 years, and, though united wi ...
),
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
. An official mention in
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
Parliamentary debates during 2006 confirms that Puducherry have all these five languages as official.
Continuation of French
Even after the de facto transfer of the French Indian settlements in November 1954, French continued to remain as the
official language
An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
according to Article XXVIII of the (Treaty of Cession) of 1956.
Article XXVIII of the Treaty states:
(The French language shall remain the official language of the Establishments so long as the elected representatives of the people shall not decide otherwise).
The 1963 Pondicherry representative assembly resolution also voted for continuance of French as official language and addition of other languages spoken in Puducherry such as Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam along with English and Hindi.
Inclusion of other languages
Considering the 1956 Treaty of cession and 1963 Assembly resolution, the 1963 Union Territories Act reconfirmed the 1963 resolution that French shall continue to be used as an official language unless the legislative assembly does not decide otherwise. The 1963 act allowed provision for inclusion of more official languages. Two years later, new official languages were recognised by The Pondicherry Official Language Act, 1965 which makes no mention of French (but also not officially denying it) implying the implicit continuation of its official language status. The same act stated that the Tamil language shall be the language to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory and the same official recognition is given for English. The same act also recognized officially Malayalam and Telugu in the Mahé and Yanam districts respectively.
The widespread
anti-Hindi agitations
The anti-Hindi-imposition agitations in Tamil Nadu were a series of agitations that happened in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras State and part of Madras Presidency) during both pre- and post-independence periods. The agitations ...
in mid-1960s in South India would have prompted for inclusion of all the languages suggested in the 1963 assembly resolution except Hindi in the list of official languages of Puducherry. While the Union Territory official gazette's name is in French (), it is published exclusively in English.
Judiciary
The jurisdiction of the
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a High Court in India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is located in Chennai, and is the third oldest high court of India after the Calcutta High C ...
has been extended to Pondicherry with effect from 6 November 1962.
The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court is the head of the judiciary of Puducherry. The present chief justice is
Munishwar Nath Bhandari
Munishwar Nath Bhandari (born on 13 September 1960) is an Indian Judge. He is former Chief Justice of Madras High Court. He has also served as Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court and Allahabad High Court and Judge of Allahabad High Court ...
.
Economy
The gross domestic product of Puducherry, at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee ( symbol: ₹; code: INR) is the official currency in the republic of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paise'' (singular: ''paisa''), though as of 2022, coins of denomination of 1 rupee are the lowest value in use wh ...
s grew from 1,840 to 258,190 million rupees from 1980 to 2014.
Fisheries
The potential for
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...
is substantial in the Union Territory. The four regions of the Union Territory have a coastline of 45 km with of inshore waters, of inland water and 800 ha of
brackish water
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estua ...
. 27 marine fishing villages and 23 inland fishing villages host a fishermen population of about 65,000 of which 13,000 are actively engaged in fishing. Tanks and ponds are also tapped for commercial fish rearing.
Tourism
Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist spots in India for national and international tourists. Puducherry was the residence of
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
(1872–1950) and the
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) located in Pondicherry, in the Indian territory of Puducherry. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from ...
still operates from Puducherry. A unique experimental city
Auroville
Auroville (; City of Dawn) is an experimental township in Viluppuram district, mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, with some parts in the Union Territory of Pondicherry in India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as "the Mo ...
, the brainchild of the Mother, whose inhabitants are drawn from all parts of the world is situated on the outskirts of the city. There are several temples, churches, monuments, parks, and mosques which attract tourists.
Puducherry Park Monument.JPG,
Aayi Mandapam (monument)
Aayi Mandapam (Park Monument) is a white monument in Pondicherry, India built during the time of Napoleon III, Emperor of France. It is situated in center of Bharati Park. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city dur ...
File:Pondicherry Legislative Assembly.jpg,
Puducherry Legislative Assembly
The Puducherry Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian union territory (UT) of Puducherry, which comprises four districts: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahé and Yanam. Out of eight union territories of India, only three h ...
File:Puducherry Coast.jpg, Puducherry Coast view
File:Mahe Boat House.jpg, Mahe riverside
File:A camel on the beach in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.jpg, A camel on the beach in Puducherry, India
File:Karaikal Church.jpg, Karaikal church
File:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral retouched.jpg, Immaculate Conception Cathedral
File:Overview of Yanam.jpg, A bird's eye view of Yanam
File:Karaikal main road.JPG, Downtown Karaikal
File:Karaikal-Grand Masjid.jpg, Karaikal Periyapalli
File:Karaikal Beach JEG2444.JPG, Karaikal Beach
Transportation
Rail
Puducherry is connected by a railway branch line from the five-way junction at
Viluppuram
Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.
Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...
and
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. The railway line is a
broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
line with 16 originating trains and 17 terminating trains.
Meanwhile
Karaikal
Karaikal ( /kʌdɛkʌl/, french: Karikal /kaʁikal/) is a town of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. Karaikal was sold to the French by the Rajah of Thanjavur and became a French Colony in 1739. The French held control, with occasi ...
Karaikal district
Karaikal district ( French: ''District de Karikal'') is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India.
Geography
Karaikal district occupies an area of .
Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was f ...
. The nearest major railway station to Yanam is
Kakinada
Kakinada (List of renamed places in India, formerly called Kakinandiwada, Coringa, and Cocanada; ) is the List of cities in Andhra Pradesh by population, sixth largest city of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra P ...
(CCT) in Andhra Pradesh (33 KM).
Air
Puducherry has an airport called
Puducherry Airport
Puducherry Airport is a regional airport located at Lawspet in Puducherry, a Union territory of India. It is situated 8.1 km from the international community of Auroville. The airport has scheduled flights and operations of the local fl ...
. It has flight operations between Puducherry and Hyderabad. A new airport is proposed in Karaikal which is called as
Karaikal Airport
Karaikal Airport (french: Aéroport de Karaikal) under construction at Karaikal, in the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, India.
The District Administration of Karaikal had acquired around 300 acres of land in 2013 ne ...
. The nearest airport to Yanam is
Rajahmundry Airport
Rajahmundry Airport is a domestic airport located at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on National Highway 516E. During 1985–1994, it was used by Vayudoot. It is heavily used by the helicopters of Oil and Natural Gas Corpo ...
(
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
: RJA,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
: VORY), 90 KM away.
Sea
Puducherry U.T. has several ports namely Karaikal port, Puducherry port, Mahe port. Among them, Largest port is Karaikal Port.
Road
Puducherry has a network all-weather metalled roads connecting the territory. Puducherry has a road length of 2,552 km (road length per 4.87 km2), the highest in the country. PRTC buses play a vital role in Puducherry U.T.
Education
According to the 2011 census, Puducherry had a literacy rate of 86.55.
Pondicherry University
Pondicherry University, also known as PU, is a Central university (India), collegiate public central university located in Kalapet, Pondicherry in Union Territory of Puducherry, India. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 by the ...
is a university centrally located in Puducherry. Other educational institutions include Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry), Mahathma Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Dental Science (Govt. of Puducherry), Tagore Arts and Science College, Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science (Govt. of Puducherry), Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Pondicherry Engineering College
Puducherry Technological University (PTU), is the first state Public technical and research university of the Union Territory of Puducherry which has been constituted by upgrading Pondicherry Engineering College (PEC) with the approval of Uni ...
, Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences, Achariya College of Engineering Technology (ACET),
Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
, motto = L'innovation par l'information (French)
, mottoeng = Innovation Through Information
, type = Private
, affiliation = Pondicherry University
, chairman = Shri M.K. Rajagopalan
, principal = ...
,
Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER) (formerly Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, RAGACOVAS: French: Collège Rajiv Gandhi des sciences vétérinaires et animales) is a veterinary college i ...
, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College Hospital, Sri Ganesh College of Engineering and Technology, and
Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre
Sri Venkateswaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SVMCH&RC; French: ''Hôpital et centre de recherche du Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College'') is a private medical college and hospital located in Puducherry, India. The campus is ...
.
In popular culture
* Puducherry was the setting for
Yann Martel
Yann Martel, (born 25 June 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the Man Booker Prize–winning novel ''Life of Pi'', an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. It has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and spent ...
's first third of his
Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...
-winning novel ''
Life of Pi
''Life of Pi'' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He s ...
'' (2001). A portion of the subsequent
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
was filmed there.
*
Lee Langley
Lee Langley is a British writer born in Calcutta, India.
Langley is the author of ten novels, including ''Changes of Address'' (1987), a largely autobiographical account of her childhood in India, the first in a loose trilogy of novels set in I ...
's novel ''A House in Pondicherry'' (1996) was set there.
* ''Prince Pondicherry'' is an Indian character from
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
's children's novel ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
The story was originally ...
'' (1964). The prince orders
Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator''. He is the eccentric founder and proprietor ...
to build a palace of chocolate in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
; the palace melts in the hot sun.
See also
*
Puducherry (Lok Sabha constituency)
Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency covers the entire Union Territory of Puducherry. Pondicherry became a union territory after the implementation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1962 and changed its name to Puduche ...
*
Puducherry Legislative Assembly
The Puducherry Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian union territory (UT) of Puducherry, which comprises four districts: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahé and Yanam. Out of eight union territories of India, only three h ...
*
Chandannagar
Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...
*
French East India Company
The French East India Company (french: Compagnie française pour le commerce des Indes orientales) was a colonial commercial enterprise, founded on 1 September 1664 to compete with the English (later British) and Dutch trading companies in the ...
*
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...