Pondicherry (),
now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry
ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen),
on-dicherry, is the
capital and the most populous city of the
Union Territory of Puducherry
Puducherry (), also known as Pondicherry () or Pondichéry, is a union territory of India, consisting of four small geographically unconnected districts. It was formed out of four territories of former French India, namely Pondichéry (Pondi ...
in India. The city is in the
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 (union territory), Puducherry in South India. The district occupies an area of , spread over 11 non-c ...
on the southeast coast of India and is surrounded by
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 betwee ...
to the east and the state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, with which it shares most of its culture, heritage, and language.
History
![Pondicherry waterfront 1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Pondicherry_waterfront_1900.jpg)
Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, gained its significance as “The French Riviera of the East” after the advent of the French colonialization in India. Puducherry is the Tamil interpretation of “new town” and mainly derived from “Poduke”, the name of the marketplace as the “Port town” for Roman trading in 1st century as mentioned in ‘The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea’. The settlement was once an abode of many learned scholars as evidently versed in the Vedas, hence also known as Vedapuri.
The history of Puducherry can broadly be classified in two periods—Pre Colonial period and Colonial Period. The Pre-Colonial period started with the reign of the Pallavas who continued to rule the empire from 325 to 900 CE, then came the Chola dynasty for the time period from 900 to 1279 CE, continued by Pandya Dynasty from 1279 to 1370 CE. During the 14th century, it was under the rule of the Naikship of Gingee denoting the Vijayanagar Empire from 1370 to 1614 CE, which was conquered by the Sultan of Bijapur and he continued for the phase from 1614 to 1638 CE. It was during the period of the Sultan when the Portuguese and Danish merchants used the place as the trading center.
The colonial period started with Portuguese as they were the first Europeans to trade in textile in 1521 and subsequently with the Dutch and the Danes in the 17th century.
The prospering trade of Puducherry attracted the French and the predominant feature of the town was laid by the French pioneer Francois Martin in the form of a French settlement in 1674 CE. In 1693, Puducherry was captured by the Dutch but restored in 1699 CE subsequently with the Treaty of Ryswick.
The French acquired Mahe in 1720, Yanam in 1731, and Karaikal in 1738. The British captured the city from the French but returned it following the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This Anglo-French war continued until 1814 CE, when finally France had the control over the settlements of Puducherry, Mahe, Yanam, Karaikal and Chandernagar even during the British period until 1954. It was a reign of one hundred and thirty eight years under French and finally on 31st October, 1954, they left the Indian shores following de facto transfer of power.
Nearby places such as
Arikamedu,
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 bou ...
, Kakayanthoppe,
Villianur
Villianur, or Villianour, is a town in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. It is a commune panchayat and the headquarters of the Villianur taluk of Puducherry District. Kameeswarar temple is the major landmark in the town.
Location
Vi ...
and Bahour, which were colonised by the
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 th ...
over a period of time and later became the
union territory of Pondicherry, have recorded histories that predate the colonial period.
''Poduke'' or ''Poduca'' (a marketplace) was a Roman trading destination from the third century BCE. ''Poduca'' has been identified as possibly being
Arikamedu (now part of Ariyankuppam), located about from the modern city of Pondicherry. The area was part of the
Pallava Kingdom of
Kanchipuram in the fourth century. The
Cholas of
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
held it from the 10th to 13th centuries until it was replaced by the
Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The
Vijayanagar
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Maharas ...
Empire took control of almost all of the south of India in the 14th century and maintained control until 1638 when they were supplanted by the
Sultan of Bijapur.
In 1674 the
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 th ...
set up a trading centre at Pondicherry and this outpost eventually became the chief
French settlement in India. The French governor
François Martin made remarkable improvements to the city and its commercial ties, facing at the same time strong opposition from the Dutch and the English. He entered into extended negotiations with the sultans of Golconda through the intercession of several roving French merchants and doctors who were in favour with the Sultan. Trading in jewelry and precious stones which had become highly fashionable in European courts was one among many activities. Five trading posts were established along the south Indian coast between 1668 and 1674. The city was separated by a canal into the French Quarter and the Indian Quarter.
On 21 August 1693, during the
Nine Years' War, Pondicherry was captured by the Dutch. Governor of
Dutch Coromandel
Coromandel was a governorate of the Dutch East India Company on the coasts of the Coromandel region from 1610, until the company's liquidation in 1798. Dutch presence in the region began with the capture of Pulicat from the Portuguese in Goa and ...
Laurens Pit the Younger sailed with a fleet of 17 ships and 1600 men from
Nagapattinam
Nagapattinam (''nākappaṭṭinam'', previously spelt Nagapatnam or Negapatam) is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. The town came to prominence during the period of Medieva ...
and bombarded Pondicherry for two weeks, after which Francois Martin surrendered it. At the
Peace of Ryswick
The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included England, ...
it was agreed by all parties to return conquered territories and in 1699 Pondicherry was handed back to the French.
On 16 January 1761, the British captured Pondicherry from the French, but it was returned under the
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the S ...
at the conclusion of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...
. The British took control of the area again in 1793 at the
Siege of Pondicherry amid the Wars of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, and returned it to France in 1814.
![Nehru à Pondichéry, janvier 1955](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Nehru_%C3%A0_Pondich%C3%A9ry%2C_janvier_1955.png)
On 18 March 1954, a number of resolutions were passed by the municipalities in Pondicherry demanding immediate merger with India. Some days later, similar resolutions were passed by the municipalities in Karaikal. The resolutions had the full support of the French Indian Councillors, who are popularly known as Ministers, and the President of the Representative Assembly. These Municipalities represent roughly 90 percent of the population of the French possessions and they called upon the Government of France to take urgent and necessary measures to give effect to the wishes of the people. The Government of India had made it clear that the cultural and other rights of the people would be fully respected. They were not asking for the immediate transfer of the de jure sovereignty of France. Their suggestion was that a de facto transfer of the administration should take place immediately, while French sovereignty should continue until the constitutional issue had been settled. Both India and France would have to make necessary changes in their respective Constitutions. All this would take time, while the demand of the people was for immediate merger without a referendum. The Government of India was convinced that the suggestion which they made would help to promote a settlement, which they greatly desired. They would gladly enter into negotiations with the Government of France on the basis suggested.
On 18 October 1954 in a general election involving 178 people in Pondicherry Municipal and Commune Panchayat, 170 people were in favor of merger and eight people voted against. The ''
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 ...
'' transfer of the French Indian territories from French governance to the Indian union took place on 1 November 1954 and was established as the union territory of
Pondicherry
Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...
. The treaty effecting the ''
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 ...
'' transfer was signed in 1956. However, due to opposition in France, the ratification of this treaty by the French National Assembly only took place on 16 August 1962.
Topography
The
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...
of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. Pondicherry's average elevation is at
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "
backwaters" can be found. Pondicherry experiences extreme
coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...
as a result of a
breakwater constructed in 1989, just to the south of the city. Where there was once a broad, sandy beach, now the city is protected against the sea by a 2-km-long
seawall
A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...
which sits at a height of 8.5 m above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
. Whilst there was an early seawall made by the French government in 1735, this was not "hard structure coastal defense" so much as an adjunct to the old shipping pier and a transition from the beach to the city,
Today, the seawall consists of rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year in an attempt to stop
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
. As a consequence of the seawall, there is severe seabed erosion and turbulence at the coastal margin, resulting in an extreme
loss of biodiversity
Biodiversity loss includes the worldwide extinction of different species, as well as the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, de ...
within the critical
intertidal zone. Whenever gaps appear as the stones fall into the continually eroding seabed, the government adds more boulders. Pondicherry's seawall has also caused beach erosion to migrate further up the coast, to the fishing villages in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu to the north of the city.
Economy
In 2012, the
Ministry of Power inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.
Farming around Pondicherry include crops such as rice, pulses, sugarcane, coconuts, and cotton.
In 2016, the Pondicherry State Government Employees Central Federation presented a status paper on the fiscal and social crisis in Puducherry to Union Home Minister
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as ...
. The report stated that a "combination of a staggering debt, stagnant tax revenues and rampant misappropriation of funds has throttled the economy of the Union Territory" and called for measures on a war footing to "deliver good governance and end corruption."
Climate
The
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
of Pondicherry is classified by the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
as
tropical wet and dry (''As''),
similar to that of coastal
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures may reach . The average maximum temperature is . Minimum temperatures are in the order of . This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The
northeast monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...
sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is . Winters are very warm, with highs of and lows often dipping to around .
Demographics
![Harry_1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Harry_1.jpg)
According to the
2011 census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Pondicherry had a population of 244,377, with 124,947 females and 119,430 males. Pondicherry had an average literacy rate of 80.6% with male literacy at 84.6% and female literacy at 76.7%. In Pondicherry, 10% of the population was under six years of age.
The majority speak
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 ...
in Pondicherry. There is a community of
French people
The French people (french: Français) are an ethnic group and nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France.
The French people, especially the na ...
and a number of French institutions such as the consulate of France in Pondicherry, the
French Institute of Pondicherry
The French Institute of Pondicherry (french: Institut français de Pondichéry) UMIFRE 21 is a French research centre in Puducherry, India, under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French National Centre ...
and
L'Alliance française.
Civic administration
The city of Puducherry comprises two municipalities,
Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to:
* Puducherry (union territory), a union territory of India
** Pondicherry, capital of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry district, a district of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry t ...
and
Uzhavarkarai
Uzhavarkarai is a city, a municipality and a taluk in Puducherry district in the union territory of Puducherry. The enclaves of Kalapet and Alankuppam are parts of Uzhavarkarai municipality. Uzhavarkarai is also the only sub-taluk (firka) in ...
. Both the Municipalities and the Commune Panchayats in the Union Territory of Puducherry function under the Administrative control of the Local Administration Department. The Puducherry Municipality under the Puducherry District comprises the erstwhile Communes of Puducherry and Mudaliarpet with its headquarters is in Puducherry. It has a total of 42 wards spread over an area of . Wards 1–10 are north of the city. Wards 11–19 are in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are southwest of the city centre.
Urban agglomeration
Data according to 2011 census
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and
Oulgaret
Uzhavarkarai is a city, a municipality and a taluk in Puducherry district in the union territory of Puducherry. The enclaves of Kalapet and Alankuppam are parts of Uzhavarkarai municipality. Uzhavarkarai is also the only sub-taluk (firka) in U ...
municipalities, and upgrade the Pondicherry
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
into a '"
municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ...
", and secondly to upgrade
Villianur
Villianur, or Villianour, is a town in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. It is a commune panchayat and the headquarters of the Villianur taluk of Puducherry District. Kameeswarar temple is the major landmark in the town.
Location
Vi ...
and
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 bou ...
commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around of the total .
Transport
Road
Pondicherry is connected to
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 ...
via the
East Coast Road
East Coast Road (ECR), combination of SH-49, NH-332A, NH-32, officially known as Mutthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Road, is a two-lane highway (now being partially upgraded to four-lane way from Chennai to Mamallapuram) in Tamil Nadu, India, built ...
through
Mahabalipuram
Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is o ...
.
There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. The
Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city and it runs Volvo buses to Chennai and to various places.
The
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd. - (TNSTC) is a Government owned public transport bus operator in Tamil Nadu, India. It operates Intercity bus services to cities within Tamil Nadu, and from Tamil Nadu to its neighbouring states. It a ...
operates
Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
air-conditioned bus services from Chennai to Pondicherry.
Rail
PDY/Puducherry (Pondicherry) is connected by train to all the four major metro cities of
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
(
Howrah), and
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, as well as other important cities such as
Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Nagpur
Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
,
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...
,
Bengaluru,
Visakhapatnam
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...
and
Mangalore
Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...
.
Moreover,
VM/Villupuram Junction which is at a distance of around (both by rail & road) is connected to several other Indian Cities.
Air
Pondicherry Airport is located at
Lawspet, an Assembly Constituency in the union territory of Pondicherry.
It has direct flights to
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Bengaluru operated by SpiceJet Airlines.
Tourism
![The French Consulate building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/The_French_Consulate_building.JPG)
Pondicherry is a tourist destination. The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples and statues which, combined with the town planning and French style avenues in the old part of town, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance.
While the sea is a draw for tourists, Pondicherry no longer has the sandy beaches that once graced its coastline. The breakwater to the harbour and other hard structures constructed on the shore caused extreme
coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...
and the sand from Pondicherry's
Promenade Beach
Rock Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach") is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Puducherry, India, along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starts from War Memorial and end at Dupleix Park ...
was permitted to disappear entirely. As a result of the city's seawall and
groyne
A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concre ...
construction, the beaches further up the coast to the north have also been lost. An enormous deposition of sand has accrued to the south of the harbour breakwater, but this is not a commodious beach and is not easily accessible from the city.
But recently, the government has been taking steps by constructing a reef and re-dosing sand. The sea is accessible by a small patch of land at the Promenade Beach (Goubert Avenue). Moreover, the beach is one of the cleanest in India and has been selected for
Blue Flag certification.
![Aurobindo Ashram Pondichery - Outside view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Aurobindo_Ashram_Pondichery_-_Outside_view.jpg)
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most important
ashrams in India, founded by the renowned
Freedom Fighter
A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...
and spiritual philosopher
Sri Aurobindo.
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 ...
(City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located northwest of Pondicherry.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the
Promenade Beach
Rock Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach") is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Puducherry, India, along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starts from War Memorial and end at Dupleix Park ...
, such as the Children's Park and Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace,
Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly,
Pondicherry Museum and the
French Institute of Pondicherry
The French Institute of Pondicherry (french: Institut français de Pondichéry) UMIFRE 21 is a French research centre in Puducherry, India, under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French National Centre ...
at Saint Louis Street.
Puducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a creek on one side.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666.
Sengazhuneer Amman Temple at
Veerampattinam
Veerampattinam is the largest coastal village in the union territory of Puducherry situated between Pondicherry and Cuddalore. The village is 7 km away from the Pondicherry city centre and frequent bus services are available from Pondiche ...
village is one of the oldest temples in Pondicherry, which is about away from the city centre. The car festival conducted in mid-August is famous in Puducherry and other neighboring states. The festival takes place on the fifth Friday since the commencement of the Tamil month of 'Aadi' every year from the date immemorial. The temple car festival is the only one where the head of the state pulls the temple car right from the days of the French rule.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient temples located in a rural town called
Villianur
Villianur, or Villianour, is a town in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. It is a commune panchayat and the headquarters of the Villianur taluk of Puducherry District. Kameeswarar temple is the major landmark in the town.
Location
Vi ...
(the ancient name is Vilvanallur, from "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which roughly translates as nice with archery trees is located about away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. There are other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000 plus years. It is thought to have been built by one of the
Chola kings
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
. There is also a huge temple pond. The
Ther Thiruvizha (chariot procession) is celebrated at this temple.
Notable people
Leaders
*
V. Subbiah, Trade Union leader & freedom fighter.
Literature and Arts
*
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 ...
poet
Bharathidasan
Bharathidasan Birth name: K. Subburathinam, the person's given name: Subburathinam, father's given name: Kanagasabai. (K. Subburathinam by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subburathinam Kanag ...
.
*
Anandaraj, Tamil film actor
*
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin (; born 10 January 1984) is a French actress and writer who works in Hindi films. Known for her unconventional body of work, she is the recipient of such accolades as a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award, and two Screen Awar ...
, Hindi movie actress
*
Ayesha Kapur, Hindi movie actress
*
M. Night Shyamalan, Hollywood director
*
Tao Porchon-Lynch, Yoga instructor, American actress
Science and technology
*
S. Somasegar, former senior vice-president,
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
*
Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
*
Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
*
Navi Radjou
Navi Radjou (born 14 August 1970) is an Indian born scholar and an innovation and leadership advisor based in Silicon Valley. He is a Fellow of Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge and has spoken and written widely on the theme ...
, an innovation and leadership strategist based in Silicon Valley.
Armed forces
* ''
Maréchal''
Le Marquis de Lauriston (1768–1828), a very senior-ranking military commander in the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
, was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
*
Prince Pondicherry, a character from
Roald Dahl's ''
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 originall ...
'', is named after the city. The character asked that
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 ...
build him a palace made of chocolate. Given the heat of the Indian climate, this decision worked out poorly for the fictitious prince.
*Pondicherry is the setting for the first third of
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 spen ...
's
Booker Prize-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 ...
'' (2001). A portion of the subsequent
film adaptation was filmed there.
*
Lee Langley's novel ''A House in Pondicherry'' (1996).
Educational institutions
*
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research
*
Lycée français de Pondichéry
*
Pondicherry University
Pondicherry University, also known as PU, is a 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 Department of Higher Edu ...
*
Puducherry Technological University
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 ...
Gallery
File:Pondicherry, Puducherry, India.jpg, Rue De La Marine
File:Pondicherry, India.jpg, Rue Saint Louis
File:Nerhu Statue, Pondicherry.jpg, Nehru Statue, Pondicherry
File:Pondicherry Manakula Vinayagar Temple.JPG, Gate leading into Manakula Vinayagar Temple in White Town Pondicherry.
File:DSC 1218-EFFECTS.jpg, Tanjore Painting of Manakula Vinayagar in Pondicherry
File:Elephant Lakshmi.jpg, Devotees with Elephant Lakshmi in Manakula Vinayagar Temple in Pondicherry
File:Pondicherry Beach, Hut, India.jpg, Beach by the Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry
File:Pondicherry, Promenade Beach, Bay of Bengal, India.jpg, Bay of Bengal
File:Sunrise at the Pondicherry shore of happiness,.jpg, Early morning walk by the Bay of Bengal in Pondicherry
See also
*
Karaikal
Karaikal (Help:IPA/English, /kʌdɛkʌl/, french: Karikal Help:IPA/French, /kaʁikal/) is a town of the Indian States and territories of India, Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. Karaikal was sold to the French by t ...
, India
*
Mahé, India
Mahé, also known as Mayyazhi, is a small town in the Mahé district of the Puducherry Union Territory. It is situated at the mouth of the Mahé River and is surrounded by the State of Kerala. The Kannur District surrounds Mahé on three sid ...
*
Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Manakula Vinayagar Temple is a Hindu temple in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. Dedicated to the god Ganesa, it is a popular pilgrimage site and tourist destination in Puducherry. The temple is of considerable antiquity and predat ...
*
Pondicherry urban area
*
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 ...
, India
References
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Puducherry
Indian union territory capitals
1674 establishments in the French colonial empire
Populated places established in 1674