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Capital	Pondicherry
Largest city	Pondicherry
Population (2001)	973,829
Density	2,029/km˛
Area	492 km˛
Districts	4
Time zone IST	(UTC+5:30)
Official language(s)	French, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
Abbreviation (ISO)	IN-PY

 

Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. There are no hills or forests in this region. The main soil types in this region are red ferrallitic, black clay and coastal alluvial. Puducherry is a unique place. and according to many it has a distinct spiritual vibration. The nickname “Pondy” sums up this shared feeling of belonging, of having come home.

 

Weather

For the most part of the year Pondicherry has a hot and humid climate with temperatures ranging between 26 and 38°C. The main rainy season is in November-January and the 'small' monsoon in July-September relieves Pondycherry from the summer heat with light showers. During the months of May and June there may be times when its hot and dry wind blowing instead of high humidity.

 

Tourism

Puducherry is a quiet little town on the southern coast and best place if you are looking for a get away from the hustle and bustle of big city. The quaint colonial heritage buildings, unspoilt virgin beaches, backwater, choice of restaurants serving a melange of cuisines, and the unmistakable French connection provide a heady mix that draw travellers from near and far. Puducherry has a special ambience and a distinct spiritual vibration. Puducherry is best accessible by road from Chennai, Bangalore and even from Kerala.Chennai has an international airport which directly connects to the highway to Puducherry.

 

Places of Tourist Interest

Aurobindo Ashram : The main building comprises the houses of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother Mirra Alfassa, a French woman who accepted Aurobindo as her spiritual mentor and guide and later became his most important disciple. The ashram has samadhis of Aurobindo and The Mother. The other places of interest in the Ashram complex are the International Education Centre, guesthouses, libraries and the cottage industries.

 

Beach : The 1500 metre long beach that borders the town on the eastern side is clean and is an exotic stretch for swimming and sun bathing. The 4m. tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi and the the War Memorial, built by the French in commemoration of the soldiers who died in the First World War are two monuments of historical importance on this beach. The Light House, which stands 29m. high is further down the beach and is over 150 years old.

 

French Institute : Founded by the renowned French Indologist Dr. J. Fillozet in 1995, this internationally acclaimed institute is situated on Dumas street. The institute has separate sections on science, technology, ecology, cartography, pedagogy, Indian languages and culture. The Romain Rolland Library has a collection of over 60,000 books, some of which are rare French volumes. The institute conducts research in arts and sciences and is perhaps the only permanent link with France in Pondicherry.

 

JIPMER : This is one of the foremost medical institutions in the country. JIPMER, which is short form for the Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research, was established 20 years ago and is one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind in the country.

 

Botanical Gardens : Just off West Boulevard, the gardens planned by C.S. Perrotet in 1826, have a good collection of exotic flowering plants from India and abroad. There is also an aquarium here, which has some rare species of ornamental fish.

 

Museum : Strated in 1984, this museum displays some of the fine antiques apart from sections devoted to archaeology, geology, sculpture, handicrafts, objects of art, printing and armaments. Among the exhibits on display are the bed used by Dupleix, a palanquin and a pousse-pousse, which resembles a rickshaw.

 

Churches : There are many of churches that are worth visiting and one of the most beautiful is the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus located on South Boulevard. It is built in the Gothic style and has three stained glass panels in a corridor behind the altar, which depict the life of Christ. The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges on Rue Dumas was built in 1865. The church has an oil painting of Our Lady of Assumption that was donated by Napoleon III. The Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes situated in Villiyanur on the outskirts of Pondicherry is built on the same pattern as the Basilica at Lourdes in France. The church festival conducted in June every year draws devotees of all faiths. It is probably the only church that has a temple tank.

 

Temples : There are several temples in Pondicherry that were built by the Cholas between the 10th and 12th centuries. Most of them are dedicated to the local goddesses of the villages where they were constructed. There are also quite a few temples dedicated to Lord Vinayaka or Ganapathy. The Varadaraja temple, built sometime in the 12th century, has inscriptions which tell of a Sanskrit university that existed at Thirubhuvanam. The Manakula Vinayaka temple is also very popular with both the locals and visitors for it is believed that Lord Ganapathy, the presiding deity, favours his devotees with success in whatever they do. The Masi Magam festival held during the full moon day of Tamil month of Masi(February-March) attracts a large number of devotees.

 

The Thirukameshwarar temple in Villiyanur was built during the 12th century and dedicated to Lord Siva. Thousands of Pilgirims visit this temple during its annual car-festival held in May-June.

 

Festivals & Events

Pongal Festival : is the festival of harvest, earth and sun.

 

Masi Magam : In the morning around 30 sacred images from a wide region are bathed ritually in the sea shore. In the evening the sacred images gathered in one place. In night there is a procession of images in a illuminated cars.

 

Chitrai kalai Vizha : Department of Art & Culture, Government of Puducherry organize Indian Classical music and dances in various places of Puducherry in summer.

Villianur Temple Car Festival : On the full moon between mid May and mid June falls the ninth day of a ten day festival. On this day the temple car with the image of the god is paraded around the town.

 

Veerampattinam Car Festival : In the month of August the festival is celebrated in Veerampattinam, a fishing village near Ariyankuppam. On this day the temple car with the image of the god is paraded around the village.

 

The other major events of Puducherry are Fete De Puducherry (Festival of Puducherry), Independence Day- 15th of August, Puducherry De Jure Transfer Day, Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Anniversary, Vinayaka Chathurthi, Navaratri, Ayudha Puja, Vijayadasami, Deepavali, Karthigai Deepam and many more!

 

When to Go

The best time to visit Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) is January and March and August to October.

 

Interesting Fact

Infact the original name was Puducherry, the French spelt it as Poudichery. At some time, the ‘u' was mistaken for a ‘n' and the misspelling stuck and Puducherry became popular as Pondicherry.

 

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