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Puducherry is an Union Territory in the southern
part of India. The territory
of Puducherry comprises of the former French
establishment Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and
Yanam, which lie scattered in South India.
Puducherry, the capital of the territory was once
the original headquarters of the French in India.
It is bounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal,
and on the three sides by Tamil Nadu. About 150 km
south of Puducherry on the east coast lies
Karaikal. Mahe is situated on the Malabar Coast on
the Western Ghats, surrounded by Kerala. It can be
reached from Calicut Airport, which is 70 km from
Mahe. Yanam is situated adjoining the East
Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, and is about
200 km from Visakhapatnam airport. Its Population as per 2001 census is 974,345. This state is divided into 4
Districts. There are 4 Towns, 6 Panchayat
Blocks, and 13 Panchayat Villages in this Indian Union Territory of Puducherry,
formerly known as
Pondicherry.
Located
about 160 Km South of Chennai, Pondicherry (known
in Tamil as Puddcherry), the former French Colony
of the early 18th Century, is a charming Indian
town with a few enduring pockets of French
Culture, and an Ashram set beside the sea.
Together with the other former French enclaves of
Karaikal (also in Tamil Nadu), Mahe (Kerala),
Yanam (Andhra Pradesh), it now forms the Union,
Territory of Pondicherry. The uniqueness of this
town invariably lies in skillful town planning and
Franco Tamil architecture. the town is built on
the model of "bastide", a fortified
French coastal town of the late 18th Century.
Being
the legendary abode of renowned saints, ancient
trading settlement with Rome and Greece, once
capital of French India, a spiritual Power house,
Pondicherry has touristic resources in the back
waters, rivers, beaches and other areas developed
as sustainable eco-tourist facilities. Influenced
by East and West, Pondicherry has unique
handicrafts in leather pottery, hand made
paper, incense and antique colonial furniture.
Late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
rightly described Pondicherry as "the Window
of French Culture".
Sri
Aurobindo, the great seer, poet and prophet of
Indian spiritually, preached his vision and ideals
staying in Pondicherry till his life. His Ashram
is still an unique institution with its
distinctive way of life attracting people from all
over the world.
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