When the French do it, they do it in style! And how! A living testament to their inexhaustible capacity to carve out a perfect picture, freeze it in time and display it for the world to see is Puducherry, the erstwhile Pondicherry along the southern coast of India. Appropriated by French colonists when they arrived way back when, Puducherry is a union territory of India, as much a part of the country as any other state, yet different—in the way it looks and the way it just is.
Today, Puducherry is more famous because of its relation with Sri Aurobindo, the renowned spiritualist who made this peaceful place his abode in the second decade of 20th century and where he remained until his death, leaving behind his legacy in the small self-contained Auroville, the spiritual leader’s haven established in the little coastal town.
Puducherry is a place that draws people from around the world, who come here to soak up some quiet and discover themselves.
Geography
Sitting pretty on the Malabar Coast, beside the Bay of Bengal and to the south southwest of Chennai is the Union Territory of Puducherry. Also known as the ‘French Riviera of East’ Puducherry is constituted of four enclaves in the coastal area of southern India. The four divisions are Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.
Climate
With a temperate climate, Puducherry’s daily weather is moderate enough for the people to live comfortably. Because of this equable climate, even in mid-June the maximum temperature registered at Pondicherry is 35.7ºC. Again in the winters the lowest temperature is recorded to be 20.9ºC. The average minimum temperature at Pondicherry is 23.9º C. During summer the average temperature goes up to 31.5º C.
It is generally warm here, and the best time to visit the place is from October to March.
History
In the first century, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentioned a marketplace named Poduke or Poduca, which G.W.B. Huntingford identified as possibly being Arikamedu (now part of Ariyankuppam), about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the modern Puducherry. Puducherry was apparently an important element of Roman trade with India. Huntingford further notes that Roman pottery was found at Arikamedu in 1937, and archeological 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 AD”.
Before this period nothing is known with certainty. The Bahur Plates, issued in the 8th century speak of a Sanskrit University which was here from an earlier period. Legend has it that the sage Agastya established his Ashram here and the place was known as Agastiswaram. An inscription found near the Vedhapuriswara Temple may attest to this little piece of historical heresay indeed being true.
Recorded history of the region can be traced back to the beginning of the fourth century, when the current Puducherry area was part of the Pallava kingdom of Kanchipuram. During the next centuries it is occupied by different dynasties of the south, followed by a brief invasion by the Muslim rulers of the north, who established the Sultanate of Madurai. After which, the reins again fell into the hands of another southern dynasty, the Vijayanagar empire, which took control of almost all the south India and lasted till 1638.
It was after this that the European influences began in earnest. In fact, aqs far as colonial rule was concerned, much of the credit for highlighting the strategic importance of Puducherry should rest with the French. The French East India Company set up a trading centre at Puducherry in 1674. This outpost eventually became the chief French settlement in India.
Dutch and British trading companies also wanted trade with India. Wars raged between these European countries and spilled over into the Indian subcontinent. The Dutch captured Puducherry in 1693 but returned it to France by the Treaty of Ryswick in 1699. The French acquired Mahe in the 1720s, Yanam in 1731, and Karaikal in 1738. During the Anglo-French wars (1742-1763), Puducherry changed hands frequently. On January 16, 1761, the British captured Puducherry from the French, but the Treaty of Paris (1763) returned the city to the French. It was taken again by the British in 1793 amid the wars of the French Revolution, but once again returned to France in 1814. When the British gained control of the whole of India in the late 1850s, they allowed the French to retain their settlements in the country. Puducherry, Mahe, Yanam, Karaikal and Chandernagar remained a part of French India until 1954.
The independence of India in 1947, an agreement between France and India in 1948 gave the freedom to the Indian people under French to choose their political future. In 1963, Puducherry became the Union Territory of India.
People
Characterised by a richly cosmopolitan culture, the people of Puducherry have a rich tapestry of cultural, social and historical influences that have woven the fabric of the current society. The people speak French and English, along with Tamil. Some of the schools here even use French as the medium of communication. An interesting fact about the people of Pondicherry is that half the population in the region hold dual citizenship of both French and Indian. People of different cast, religion, creed, origin live here happily and enjoy all the festivals together.
Since Pondicherry was influenced by French, the influence of French culture is evident on the architecture, cuisine and lifestyle of the people of Pondicherry. Leather, woodcraft, pottery, metalcraft are some of the popular handicrafts in which the people of Pondicherry are engaged.
Just like the culture of Puducherry, its cuisine too is an amalgam of diverse ethnic influences. Given its French connection, the union territory has felt a deep impact of the French way of life, as has the French cuisine.
The French and the Indo style have given birth to an innovative taste that is simply mouthwatering and unique. The influence of the neighbouring areas like Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is also visible. The concoction of the various kinds of cuisines is something to be savoured and relished.
Pondicherry culture is very rich and diverse. It is a place where the cultural impacts of several traditions have merged to form a individual culture in itself, reflected in the cultural practices of the locals.
The dominant influences can be traced to the neighbouring region of Tamil Nadu on one hand and the lifestyle of the French colonisers. Various fairs and festivals form an integral part of the culture of Pondicherry. Several aspects of the daily activities and lifestyle of the people are celebrated in these festivals. There are festivals dedicated to food and handicrafts as well.
During the colonial period a tradition of practising art and crafts evolved in this place. Till date many people of Puducherry work to perpetuate this age-old tradition. Local crafts include making dining mats, candles, incense sticks, wooden serving mats, screen paintings, batik paintings on clothes, among other crafts.
Music and dance too is an important aspect of the cultural life of the people here, and bear deep influences of the rich French and Tamil traditions. Even the classical forms of south Indian music are celebrated enthusiastically.
In the dance festivals of Puducherry, visitors can get a glimpse of the performances of some of the traditional forms like Yakshgana, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Chau and Mohininattam during religious festival, Shivaratri.
By Air
The closest airport is the Chennai airport.
By Road
Taxi
You can hire air-conditioned taxis from Chennai airport or the city proper to reach Puducherry.
Bus
The bus stand is just 500 metres west of town.
Train
There are two direct services a day to Chennai, and one to Tirupathy. There’s a computerised booking service for southern trains at the station.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a Frenchwoman known as ‘the Mother’, this ashram seeks to synthesise yoga and modern science. After Aurobindo’s death, spiritual authority passed to the Mother, who died in 1973 aged 97. A constant flow of visitors files through the main ashram building, seeking spiritual guidance, peace, quiet, or satisfaction of curiosity.
Puducherry Museum
Housed in a colonial building, this little museum has a whole floor dedicated to French-era furniture. Look out for the Pallava and Chola-era sculptures, a small Versailles’ worth of French Union-era bric-a-brac, and coins and shards of pottery excavated from Arikamedu, a once-major seaport a few kilometres south of Puducherry that traded with the Roman Empire during the 1st century BC.
Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Here, god’s benevolence shines on tourists, pilgrims and the curious through the medium of a head pat from the temple elephant who stands outside Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple, dedicated to Lord Ganesh. The temple also contains over 40 skillfully painted friezes.
Promenade
The Promenade is a modern beachfront boutique owned and operated by the high-fashion Hidesign group, and is trying to magnetise itself as a centre for Puducherry’s small social scene. A must-visit for the fashionable people.
Notre Dame de Anges
The pink-and-cream Notre Dame de Anges, built in 1858, looks sublime in the late-afternoon light. The smooth limestone interior was made using eggshells in the plaster.
Paradise Beach
Paradise Beach, in Chunnambar, eight kilometres south of Puducherry, has some resort accommodation, water sports and backwater boat cruises.
Botanical Gardens
Established by the French in 1826, the botanical gardens form a green oasis on the southwest side of town.
Quiet Beach
An oxymoron perhaprs, but the only way to find it is to make your way to this beach, north of the centre within eight kilometers of Puducherry.