About Pondicherry:- Pondicherry has a special ambience and charm unlike any other city in India. Once a French colony, it is now a Union Territory of India that lies 160km away from Chennai (Madras) along the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Pondicherry is located near by the state of Tamil Nadu on the South-East coast of India. The city of Pondicherry is the Capital of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Pondicherry is officially known as Puducherry today. The city is also referred and spelled in many different ways such as Pondichery, Pondichéry, Pondy and Pondi. Main languages spoken in the region are Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi and English. French is still spoken by a considerable number of people because of the colonial past and the rising number of expatriates from France, French businessmen and new settlers. Known as the French Riviera of the East, Pondicherry is unique for its number of influences that have shaped its culture. The French were present for centuries, but the Danes, the English, the Portuguese and the Dutch have all stopped by, giving rise to a heady mix of European flavours allied with the local Tamil culture. Pondicherry is one of the few cities in India planned in the model of a chessboard (streets parallel to one another). The city is divided in two parts by the Canal which separates the French Quarter-White Town (in East) from the rest of the city (in West). The West Part consists of the Muslim Quarter in the South, the Tamil Quarter in the North and the Catholic Quarter in the Middle. The French Quarter In the French Quarter, the streets are wide and facades are usually characterized by continuous wall to wall construction with high walls and elaborate gates. The ambience of Pondicherry becomes most evident in the oldest part of the town which flanks the seashore boulevard. Colonial buildings, some which trace back to the 18th century, line along a grid of straight clean streets and house the French institutions, private homes and businesses, and the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The visitor is greeted by mellow colours of cream, yellow, pink and grey with flamboyant bougainvillea. The Tamil Quarter A large canal separates the French Quarter and the Tamil Quarter. The Tamil Quarter is where all the major commercial activities take place (markets, showrooms and shops). There are numerous temples and houses which reflect Tamil architecture. The exterior facades of the houses often feature a veranda and a semi-public portico supported by wooden pillars. The Catholic Quarter The long commercial Nehru Street separates the Tamil Quarter (North-East) from the Catholic Quarter (Central). The Catholic Quarter consists of the Cathedral, the archdiocese and the catholic schools. The Muslim Quarter Lal Bahadur Shastri Street (Bussy Street) separates the Catholic Quarter from the Muslim Quarter. The Muslim Quarter consists of houses with its characteristic and unscathed architecture. The narrow streets, the small houses with their beautifully painted facades and balconies, the mosques and the small prayer houses add an additional charm and a sense of calmness to this environment. Today, Pondicherry exudes a charming picture of a quaint French town with its neat, cobbled streets, elegant houses, policemen with red kepis, street signboards, statues of Dupleix and Joan of Arc and pretty gardens. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926 and Auroville (10km from Pondicherry) with its spiritual experience, draw people from all over the world to this charming little town.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 08:53:19 +0000
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