Pondicherry

The Paris of the East which is also known as La Côte d'Azur de l'Est. Here are some lines to know about Pondicherry.

Facts about Pondicherry :

Unique features: Four geographically isolated regions united by a shared French connection.

Location: Southern Part of India.

Area: 490 sq. km.

Political division: 2 Districts ( Pondicherry & Karaikal ).

Capital: Pondicherry

Official language: Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, and English.

Pondicherry
Political Map:

Pondicherry - Puducherry

Karaikal - Tamilnadu

Mahe - Kerala

Yanam - Andhra Pradesh

State symbols:

Animal - Squirrel

Bird - Koel

Flower - Cannonball

Tree - Bilva

History of Pondicherry

Early Period :

• The known history of pondicherry dates back to the 1st century AD. Pondicherry has been under the rule of the Portuguese, the dutch, the Danes, the French as well as English. BY the 18th century, this tiny fishing village had turned into a grand port city.

• Legend has it that the Sage Agastya established his ashram here and the place was known as Agastiswaram.

• Excavations at Arikamedu, about 7kms to the south of the town, showing that Romans came here to trade in the 1st century CE. The trade included dyed textiles, pottery, and semi-precious stones.

• At the beginning of the 4th century CE, the Pondicherry area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram. Eventually, Pondicherry was occupied by different dynasties of south India, such as the Cholas, the pandas, the sultanate of Madurai, and the Vijayanagara empire.

Foreign Contacts :

• At the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese established a factory in Pondicherry. Soon, the Danes and the dutch also set up similar establishments.

• The French were invited to open a trading center in Pondicherry by the new ruler of Gingee to complete with the dutch. In 1674, Francois martin the first governor started to build Pondicherry and transformed it from a small fishing village into a flourishing port town.

• In 1693, the Dutch took over and fortified the town considerably but the French regained Pondicherry in 1699.

• The French acquired mahe in 1720, yanam in 1731, and Karaikal in 1738.

Anglo-french conflicts :

• The period from 1744 to 1816 witnessed a lot of conflicts between the French and the British to gain control over Pondicherry.

• The Anglo-French war continued until 1814 A.D. when finally France had control over the settlements of Pondicherry, Mahe, Yanam, Karaikal, and Chanderagar even during the British period until 1954.

• Post Independence: On November 1, 1954, the French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union, and Pondicherry became a Union Territory. But it was only in 1963 that Pondicherry officially became an integral part of India after the French Parliament in Paris ratified the Treaty with India.

Features :

• Neighbours: The areas of Pondicherry and Karaikal are bound by the state of Tamilnadu, while Yanam and Mahe are enclosed by the states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

• Topography: Although not a contiguous stretch of land, the topography of these four separately located regions are all coastal plains with semi-arid climates. Except in Mahe, there are no hilly areas in other regions. Three major physiographic units are generally observed i.e. Coastal Plain, Alluvial Plain, and uplands.

Rivers :

All Four regions of pondicherry are located in the coastal region. Five rivers in Pondicherry

region, Seven in Karaikal, Two in mahe and one in yanam drain into the sea,

But none originates within the territory.

Season and climate :

Summer: March to July - Average temp. 35°C – 38°C

Winter season: December to February - Average temp. 30°C

Monsoon Season: Southwest monsoon ( June – September ) and Northeast monsoon ( October - December ).

Humidity: Relatively High throughout the year.

Best time to visit :

The best time visit is after the onset of winter, from October to February, when the temperatures dip, making strolling down Pondicherry’s French Streets an absolute pleasure.

Paris of the East