Pondicherry

Inspite of its diminutive size, Pondicherry attracts a large percentage of tourists visiting India. The unique spiritual charm of the place in enhanced by the fact that it was a home to the great poet Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (whose real name was Mirra Alfassa and she was born in Paris. An accomplished pianist and a painter, she became a follower of Shri Aurobindo and later came to be known as the Mother). The Auroville, with its multinational, multilingual and multicultural population is the realized dream of both these visionaries, to build a universal society living in complete harmony. Pondicherry is at present, a union territory with its area scattered over three different states in the country. The capital of the union territory of Pondicherry is also known as 'Pondicherry' and is situated on the Coromandel Coast on the Bay of Bengal, at a distance of 162 Kms from Chennai. Karaikal is another part of Pondicherry, which is also situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. The other two parts are Yanam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahe located on the southern side of river Mahe in the westcoast of Kerala.

Once a French colony, Pondicherry still has a few French families living there and French is an important language. The French spirit can be discerned in the very layout of the township. The magnificent statues of Joseph Francois Dupleix and Joan of Arc, the warrior saint of France tell of a significant French influence on the history of the place. The French Institute of Indology and Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient are the living legacies of the former French occupation of the territory.

Languages

Languages spoken in Pondicherry are Tamil, Telugu, Malayam, Hindi, French and English.

Climate

The state enjoys a tropical climate, it is usually hot and humid and the monsoon lasts from October to December.

Important Festivals

International Yoga Festival (January)
Sani Peyarchi Festival (Once in every three years)
Panguni Uthiram Festival (March - April)
Veeerampattinam Festival
Masi Magan
Pongal

Statistics

TOURISM

Arikamedhu

It is an archaeological site at a distance of 20 kms from the Pondicherry town. Recent excavations here have revealed some Roman coins, wine jars and other remains, which prove that Arikamedhu was the earliest Indo - Roman trading centre.

Auroville

The city of Dawn as it is also called was established in 1968. People from many parts of the world have settled down here making it a microcosmic replica of the world - a number of different communities living in harmony. There are about 40 settlements in Auroville.

Bharati Museum

The house of the famous poet Subramaniya Bharati at Easwaran Dharmaja Koil Street has been made into a museum.

Bharatidasan Museum

Another poet Kanaksubburatnam wrote under the name of Bharatidasan, he scaled the same heights in poetry as Bharati had done. His house at Perumal Koil Street has also been made into a museum.

Boat House

The boathouse is on the bank of river Chunnambar at a distance of 8 Kms from Pondicherry.

Botanical Garden

The garden was laid out in the year 1826. Many plants were brought here from the different parts of the country and also places like Ceylon and Reumian.

Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus

A church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus with beautiful stained glass windows depicting scenes from life of Jesus Christ.

Government Square

The Governor's Square encloses a beautiful garden which has a monument Aayi Mandapam at its centre. There are some carved monolithic pillars, which were brought to Pondicherry from Gingee in 1751.

Pondicherry Museum

Here are many artifacts that belong to the bygone era of Pondicherry. The relics of the Chola, Pallava and the Vijaynagar periods trace the history of this place.

Promenade

An ideal place for a stroll, the Promenade is a 1.5Km long walk built along the beach. On the beachfront, there are statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Jeanne d'Arc and Dupleix, a war memorial, the Heritage building and an old lighthouse that is 27 metres tall.

Raj Niwas

This palatial building is completely French in style and was the residence of Joseph Francois Dupleix. It is now the residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of Pondicherry.

Shri Aurobindo Ashram

Shri Aurobindo, a famous poet established the Ashram in 1920. The Samadhi in the Ashram premises is the final resting place of Sri Aurobindo and the mother. The Ashram has become a centre for the practice of Yoga and a place of learning. The ashram activities include agriculture, industries, art and culture.

Thiruvakkarai

Thiruvakkarai or Tiruvakkarai is at a distance of 30 kms from the Pondicherry town. The first Wood-Fossil Park of the country is situated here. The Chandramouliswara Temple is another tourist destination in this place.

Pondicherry Beach
Pondicherry has a beautiful unpolluted beach that is 1.5km long.

The other places of tourist interest in Pondicherry are: -

• French Institute
• Jawahar Toy Museum
• Manakula Vinayanagar
• Mansion Anandha
• Mailam Murugan Temple
• Mandagupettu
• Ousteri Lake

INDUSTRIAL PROFILE

Tourism and fisheries are the obvious industries of Pondicherry but other specialized industries in the area have also been developed. The emergence of these industries has strengthened the industrial infrastructure of the place, which in turn assists and promotes further industrial development and progress.

Industrial Infrastructure

Resources

Upcoming Industrial Areas

• Electronic Industrial Estate is coming up at Thiruvanai, at a distance of 20 Kms from Pondicherry.
• Software Technology Park (in association with the Software Technology Park, Bangalore) is coming up at Kalapet, Pondicherry.
• Export Processing Zone is being established in Sedarapet, Pondicherry.
• A Growth Centre is being developed in Polagam, Karaikal
• Integrated Infrastructural Development Centre is being developed in Sedarapet, Pondicherry.

There are ample investment opportunities in the state especially in the industries related to:

• Information Technology and Software
• Electronics
• Agro processing including marine products
• Textiles including garments
• Leather products and footwear
• Light Engineering including Auto components