by Wikipedia
Accessed: 7/31/21
Puducherry (/ˌpʊdʊˈtʃɛri/), also known as Pondicherry (/ˌpɒndɪˈtʃɛri/), is a union territory of India. It was formed out of four territories of former French India, namely Pondichéry (Pondicherry; now Puducherry), Karikal (Karaikal), Mahé and Yanaon (Yanam), excluding Chandannagar. It is named after the largest district, Puducherry. Historically known as Pondicherry (Pāṇṭiccēri), the territory changed its official name to Puducherry on 20 September 2006.[6][7]
The Union Territory of Puducherry lies in the southern part of the Indian Peninsula. The areas of Puducherry district and Karaikal district are bound by the state of Tamil Nadu, while Yanam district and Mahé district are enclosed by the states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, respectively. Puducherry is the 29th most populous and the third most densely populated of the states and union territories of India. It has a gross domestic product (GDP) of ₹210 billion (US$2.9 billion) and ranks 25th in India.[8]
History
Main article: History of Puducherry
The earliest recorded history of the municipality of Puducherry can be traced to the second century AD. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions a marketplace named Poduke (ch 60). G. W. B. Huntingford suggested this might be a site about 2 miles from the modern Puducherry, which was possibly the location of Arikamedu (now part of Ariyankuppam). Huntingford noted that Roman pottery was found at Arikamedu in 1937. In addition, archaeological 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 BC to the eighth century AD.[9][10]
In 1674, the municipality of Pondicherry (Pondichéry) became a French colony of the French colonial empire. Together with Chandernagor (already French since 1673), Mahé (since 1721), Yanam (Yanaon) (since 1731), Karaikal (Karikal) (since 1739) and Masulipatam (1760), it formed the French colony of French India, under a single French governor in Pondicherry, although French rule over one or more of these enclaves was repeatedly interrupted by British occupations. The territories of French India were completely transferred to the Republic of India de facto on 1 November 1954, and de jure on 16 August 1962, when French India ceased to exist, becoming the present Indian constituent union territory of Pondicherry, combining four coastal enclaves (with the exception of Chandannagar, which merged with the state of West Bengal in 1954).
Geography
Further information: List of rivers of Puducherry
The Union Territory of Puducherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Puducherry district (293 km2 or 113 sq mi), Karaikal district (161 km2 or 62 sq mi) and Yanam district (20 km2 or 7.7 sq mi) on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé district (9 km2 or 3.5 sq mi) on the Laccadive Sea, covering a total area of 483 km2 (186 sq mi). Puducherry and Karaikal have the largest areas and population, and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, respectively. Its population, as per the 2011 Census, is 1,244,464.
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.
All four regions of Puducherry are located in the coastal region. Five rivers in Puducherry district, seven in Karaikal district, two in Mahé district and one in Yanam district drain into the sea, but none originates within the territory.
Districts of Union Territory of Puducherry
• Puducherry district is an enclave of Tamil Nadu.
• Karaikal district is also an enclave of Tamil Nadu.
• Mahé district is an enclave of Kerala.
• Yanam district is an enclave of Andhra Pradesh.
Demographics
Hinduism (87.30%)
Christianity (6.29%)
Islam (6.05%)
Others (0.36%)
Hinduism is the major religion with 87.3% of the population adhering to it. Other religions include Christianity (6.29%) and Islam (6.05%).[12]
Government and administration
Main articles: Puducherry Legislative Assembly and Puducherry Municipal Council
See also: List of Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, List of Chief Ministers of Puducherry, and List of districts of Puducherry
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 other being National Capital Territory of Delhi 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.[13] 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.[14]
The Centre is represented by the Lieutenant Governor, 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.
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
Main article: Languages of Puducherry
The most widely spoken first language is Tamil, which is native to 88.2% of the population. There are also speakers of Telugu (5.96%), Malayalam (3.84%) and Urdu (0.69%).
French was the official language according to Article XXVIII of the Traité de Cession (Treaty of Cession) of 1956. According to the treaty, "the French language shall remain the official language of the Establishments so long as the elected representatives of the people shall not decide otherwise".[15][16] After independence, the new official languages were recognised by The Pondicherry Official Language Act, 1965 (Act No. 3 of 1965) which makes no mention of French (but also not officially denying it)[17] This 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".[3] It also provides for the use of the Malayalam and Telugu languages in the Mahé and Yanam districts. The law also states that English "may be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory".[18] While the Union Territory official gazette's name is in French (La Gazette de L'État de Poudouchéry) it is published exclusively in English.[19] Through the 1963 Union Territories Act, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam became official languages used region-wide.
Economy
The gross domestic product of Puducherry, at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian rupees grew from 1,840 to 258,190 million rupees from 1980 to 2014.
Year / Gross domestic product
1980 / 1,840
1985 / 3,420
1990 / 6,030
1995 / 13,200
2000 / 37,810
2010 / 130,920
2014 / 258,190[20][21][22]
Fisheries
The potential for fisheries is substantial in the Union Territory. The four regions of the Union Territory have a coastline of 45 km with 675 of inshore waters, 1.347 hectares (3.33 acres) of inland water and 800 ha of brackish water. 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
Main article: Tourism in Puducherry
Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist spots in India for national and international tourists. Puducherry was the residence of Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950) and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram still operates from Puducherry. A unique experimental city Auroville, 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.
Transport
Rail
Puducherry is connected by a railway branch line from the five-way junction at Viluppuram and Chennai. The railway line is a broad gauge line with 16 originating trains and 17 terminating trains.[23] Mean while Karaikal and Mahe also well connected by railway lines. Several railway lines are also under construction in Karaikal district.[24]
Air
Puducherry has an airport called Puducherry airport. It has flight operations between Puducherry and Hyderabad.[25] A new airport is proposed in karaikal which is called as karaikal airport.[26]
Sea
Puducherry U.T. has several ports namely Karaikal port, Puducherry port, Mahe port. Among them, Largest port is Karaikal Port.[27]
Road
Main article: Road Network in Puducherry District
Further information: Puducherry Road Transport Corporation
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 busses plays a vital role in puducherry U.T.
Education
Main article: List of educational institutions in Puducherry
According to the 2011 census, Puducherry had a literacy rate of 86.55.[28] Pondicherry University is a university centrally located in Puducherry.[29] Other educational institutions include Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (Government 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 (Government of Puducherry), Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Engineering and Technology,[30] Pondicherry Engineering College, Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences, Achariya College of Engineering Technology (ACET), Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology, Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 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.
In popular culture
• Puducherry was the setting for Yann Martel's first third of his Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi (2001). A portion of the subsequent film adaptation was filmed there.[31]
• Lee Langley's novel A House in Pondicherry (1996) was set there.
• Prince Pondicherry is an Indian character from Roald Dahl's children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964). The prince orders Willy Wonka to build a palace of chocolate in India; the palace melts in the hot sun.
See also
• Geography portal
• Asia portal
• India portal
• Puducherry (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Chandannagar
• French East India Company
• French colonial empire
• Municipal Administration in French India
References
1. Varma, M. Dinesh (6 June 2015). "New Chief Secretary assumes charge". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
2. "PUDUCHERRY LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY". Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
3. "The Pondicherry Official Languages Act, 1965" (PDF). lawsofindia.org. Laws of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
4. "Official Languages of Pondicherry - E-Courts Mission, Government of India". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
5. "Tamil Nadu News : Puducherry comes out with list of State symbols". The Hindu. 21 April 2007. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
6. "South Asia | New name for old French territory". BBC News. 20 September 2006. Archivedfrom the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
7. "National : Bill to rename Pondicherry as Puducherry passed". The Hindu. 22 August 2006. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
8. "State Domestic Product and other aggregates, 2004–05 series". Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
9. Vimala Begley. "The Dating of Arikamedu and its Bearing on the Archaeology of Early Historical South India" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January2019.
10. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century. Kessinger Publishing. July 2007. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-548-20943-1. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
11. Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
12. "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
13. "Lanka BBC Info Know Puducherry: Government Name Pondicherry As Puducherry". lankabbc.com. 29 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
14. "Will Pondy's attempt to get statehood succeed?". The New Indian Express.
15. "The Government of Union Territories Act, 1963" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
16. "Puducherry code volume 1" (PDF). Government of Puducherry. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
17. "History". District Court of Puducherry. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
18. CIDIF. "06-Le français à Pondichéry, par Roland Breton". go1.cc. Archived from the originalon 9 April 2015.
19. "La Gazette de L' État de Poudouchéry The Gazette of Puducherry" (PDF). gstcouncil.gov.in. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
20. "Economy of Puducherry - StatisticsTimes.com". statisticstimes.com.
21. "Union Territory of Puducherry". South Asia Program at Hudson Institute.
22. List of Indian states by GDP
23. karthik. "Pondicherry Station - 16 Train Departures SR/Southern Zone - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
24. Rajaram, R. (5 February 2021). "Karaikal-Peralam railway line project gets an impetus". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
25. "Puducherry airport becomes AAI's first 100% solar-powered airport - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
26. "Greenfield airport at Karaikal waiting to take wings". The Hindu. 4 March 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
27. "India's Largest Private Port to Handle large Vessels and Diverse Cargo Mix". karaikalport.com. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
28. "Ranking of states and union territories by literacy rate: 2011" (PDF). Government of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
29. "Pondicherry University". Pondicherry University. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011.
30. "Welcome to the Website of PKIET". Pkiet.edu.in. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
31. "Filming Locations". IMDb. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
External links
• Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
• Treaty establishing De Jure Cession of French Establishments in India
• Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
• Puducherry (union territory) travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Frenchbooksonindia.com an open access multilingual discovery tool on Pondicherry with book data from 1673 to 2020, full-text ebooks from 1531 to 1937 and in-text search from c. 1830 to c. 1920
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Pondicherry
by Wikipedia
Accessed: 8/1/21
This article is about the city. For the union territory, see Puducherry (union territory). For other uses, see Puducherry (disambiguation).
Pondicherry (/ˌpɒndɪˈtʃɛri/), now known as Puducherry (/ˌpʊdʊˈtʃɛri/), 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 southeast coast of India and is surrounded by the state of Tamil Nadu, with which it shares most of its culture, heritage and language.[2]
History
Main article: History of Puducherry
[x]
Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900
The history of Pondicherry is recorded only after the arrival of Dutch, Portuguese, British and French traders. By contrast, nearby places such as Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur and Bahour, which were colonised by the French East India Company 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 3rd century BCE.[3] Poduca has been identified as possibly being Arikamedu (now part of Ariyankuppam), located about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the modern city of Pondicherry. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries until it was replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar 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 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.[4]
On 21 August 1693, during the Nine Years' War, Pondicherry was captured by the Dutch. Governor of Dutch Coromandel Laurens Pit the Younger sailed with a fleet of 17 ships and 1600 men from Negapatam and bombarded Pondicherry for two weeks, after which Francois Martin surrendered it. At the Peace of Ryswick it was agreed by all parties to return conquered territories and in 1699 Pondicherry was handed back to the French.[5]
On 16 January 1761, the British captured Pondicherry from the French, but it was returned under the Treaty of Paris (1763) at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War.[6] The British took control of the area again in 1793 at the Siege of Pondicherry amid the Wars of the French Revolution, and returned it to France in 1814.
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.[7] 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.[8]
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 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. The treaty effecting the de jure 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 of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found. Pondicherry experiences extreme coastal erosion as a result of a breakwater constructed in 1989,[9] 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 which sits at a height of 8.5 m above sea level. 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,[10]
Today, the seawall consists of rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year in an attempt to stop erosion. As a consequence of the seawall, there is severe seabed erosion and turbulence at the coastal margin, resulting in an extreme loss of biodiversity 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.[citation needed]
Economy
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[11] 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. 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."[12]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by the Köppen climate classification as tropical wet and dry (As),[13] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures may reach 41 °C (106 °F). The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon 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 1,355 millimetres or 53 inches.[14] Winters are very warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
Demographics
According to the 2011 census of India, 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.[1]
The majority speak Tamil in Pondicherry. There is a community of French people and a number of French institutions such as the consulate of France in Pondicherry, the French Institute of Pondicherry and L'Alliance française.[17]
Civic administration
The city of Puducherry comprises two municipality, Puducherry and Uzhavarkarai. All the Municipalities and the Commune Panchayats in the Union Territory of Puducherry function under the Administrative control of the Local Administration Department.[18] 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 areas of 19.46 Sq. km.[19]Wards 1–10 are north of the city. Wards 11–19 are in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are southwest of the city centre.[20]
Urban agglomeration
Local bodies / Area / Population
Pondicherry Municipality / 19 km2 / 241,773
Oulgaret Municipality / 36 km2 / 300,028
Villianur Census Town and Outgrowth -- / 67,254
Ariyankuppam Town and Outgrowth -- / 47,454
Total / 293 km2 / 629,509
Data according to 2011 census
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade the Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Road
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[21] 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.[22] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned bus services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[23]
Rail
PDY/Puducherry (Pondicherry) is connected by train to Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, as well as other important cities such as Kanyakumari, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Mangalore.[24][25] Moreover, VM/Villupuram Junction which is at a distance of around 24 miles i.e.40 km(both by rail & road) is connected to several other Indian Cities.[26]
Air
Pondicherry Airport is located at Lawspet, an Assembly Constituency in the union territory of Pondicherry.[27] It has direct flights to Hyderabad,[27] Bengaluru operated by SpiceJet Airlines.
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Puducherry
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 and the sand from Pondicherry's Promenade Beach was permitted to disappear entirely. As a result of the city's seawall and groyne 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).[28] Moreover, the beach is one of the cleanest in India and has been selected for Blue Flag certification.[29]
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 and spiritual philosopher Sri Aurobindo.[30] Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west 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, 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 at Saint Louis Street.
Puducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km 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.[31]
Sengazhuneer Amman Temple at Veerampattinam village is one of the oldest temples in Pondicherry, which is about 7 km 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 (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, from "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"),[32] which roughly translates as nice with archery trees is located about 10 km 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.[citation needed] The pioneers[clarification needed] 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. There is also a huge temple pond. The Ther Thiruvizha (chariot procession) is celebrated at this temple.
Social organisations
• Alliance Française de Pondicherry created in 1889 and is among the first Alliances in the world after the one in Paris.
• PondyCAN - is a broad based, non-profit organization committed to preserve and enhance the natural, social, cultural and spiritual environment.
Notable people
Leaders
• V. Subbiah, Trade Union leader & freedom fighter.
Literature and Arts
• Tamil poet Bharathidasan.
• Anandaraj, Tamil film actor
• Kalki Koechlin, 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
• Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
• Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
• Navi Radjou, an innovation and leadership strategist based in Silicon Valley.[33]
Armed forces
• Maréchal Le Marquis de Lauriston (1768–1828), a very senior-ranking military commander in the French Army, was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
• Prince Pondicherry, a character from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is named after the city. The character asked that Willy Wonka 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's Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi (2001). A portion of the subsequent film adaptation was filmed there.[34]
• Lee Langley's novel A House in Pondicherry (1996).[35]
Educational institutions
• Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research
• Pondicherry University
• Puducherry Technological University
See also[edit]
• Karaikal, India
• Mahé, India
• Manakula Vinayagar Temple
• Pondicherry urban area
• Yanam, India
References[edit]
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2. "Bill to rename Pondicherry as Puducherry passed". The Hindu. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
3. Francis, Peter (2002). Asia's Maritime Bead Trade: 300 B.C. to the Present. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2332-0.
4. WORRALL, JILL (11 April 2016). "Peace, love and a French flavour in Pondicherry, South India". http://www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
5. Israel, Jonathan (1989). Dutch Primacy in World Trade 1585-1740. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198227299.
6. Chand, Hukam. History Of Medieval India, 202.
7. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456 ... 4-1954.pdf page 22
8. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456 ... 4-1954.pdf page 23
9. "The Story of Pondicherry's Eroding Coastline in a Single Image". 16 October 2008.
10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
11. "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
12. Special Correspondent (18 October 2016). "Report paints grim picture of Puducherry's economy". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
13. "Climate: Pondicherry – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
15. "Pondicherry Climatological Table Period: 1971–2000". India Meteorological Department. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
16. "Ever recorded Maximum and minimum temperatures up to 2010" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
17. "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". 21 July 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
18. "Local Administration-Departments-Know Puducherry: Government of Puducherry". http://www.py.gov.in. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
19. "Municipality Details - Pondicherry Municipality - The Union Territory of Puducherry". http://www.pdymun.in. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
20. Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159 Archived 19 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
21. Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
22. "20 buses launched in urban routes". The Hindu. Puducherry. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
23. V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". The Hindu. Kancheepuram. Archived from the original on 24 February 2010. Retrieved 15 September2012.
24. "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September2012.
25. "Changes in train timings". The Hindu. Puducherry. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
26. Ltd, rome2rio Pty. "Puducherry to Villupuram - 3 ways to travel via bus, and line 16116 train". Rome2rio. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
27. Jump up to:a b "Puducherry back on aviation map; services to Hyderabad launched". The Economic Times. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
28. M, Kavya (30 August 2018). "Artificial reef helps restore lost Pondy beach". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
29. Jun 6, Bosco Dominique | TNN |; 2019; Ist, 12:31. "Beach in Puducherry selected for blue flag certification | Puducherry News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
30. "Sri Aurobindo". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
31. "Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
32. "About Pondicherry". India tourism. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
33. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
34. "Life of Pi". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
35. "Of Love Lost". India Today. Retrieved 19 July 2019.