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| ?புதுச்சேர పాండిచెర్రి Territoire de Pondichéry Union Territory of Pondicherry India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 492 km² (190 sq mi) |
| Capital | Pondicherry |
| Largest city | Pondicherry |
| District(s) | 4 |
| Population • Density |
973,829 (2nd) • 1,979 /km² (5,126 /sq mi) |
| Language(s) | Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam |
| Lt. Governor | Lieutenant General Bhopinder Singh(Addl.) |
| Chief Minister | V. Vaithilingam |
| Established | 1 July 1963 |
| Legislature (seats) | Unicameral (30) |
| ISO abbreviation | IN-PY |
| Website: www.pondicherry.nic.in | |
Coordinates: Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry ; Tamil: புதுச்சேரி or பாண்டிச்சேரி, Telugu: పాండిచెర్రి, Malayalam: പുതുശ്ശേരി , French: Pondichéry) is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, and named for the largest, Pondicherry.
In September 2006, the territory and the city changed its official name from Pondicherry to the vernacular original,1 Puducherry, which means "New village"2 It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est).
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Geography
A tiny part of India, once colonized by France, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, and named for the largest, Pondicherry.
In September 2006, the territory and the city changed its colonial name from Pondicherry back to the original Indian,[1] Puducherry, which means "New village"[2] The French called it the Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est).
Pondicherry consists of four unconnected districts: Pondicherry, Karaikal, and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea. Puducherry (Pondicherry) and Karaikal are by far the larger ones, and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, respectively. The territory has a total area of 492 km²: Puducherry (city) 293 km², Karaikal 160 km², Mahé 9 km² and Yanam 30 km². It has 900,000 inhabitants (2001).
History
French influence
There is evidence of Romans visiting Pondicherry around 2500 years back. The Pondicherry Museum has Roman cups, jars and the coins traded in Pondicherry at that time.
A remarkable degree of French influence in Pondicherry exists to this date. In 1787 and 1791, farmers of Karaikal agitated against the heavy land tax imposed by the French. The first war of Indian Independence had its impact in the French settlements but it did not attract the attention of the rulers, as the incidents were few and considered as local. People employed legal means to fight against the French. In 1873, an advocate, Ponnuthammbi Pillai, moved to Paris court and won the case in which he was awarded a penalty by a French Magistrate in Pondicherry for walking into the court with footwear. (The French did not allow Indians to wear shoes? As a sign of being rulers?)
Pondicherry was designed based on the French (originally Dutch; Dutch plans of Pondicherry dating from the end of the seventeenth century (1693-1694) are preserved in the National Archives at The Hague, The Netherlands) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The entire town is divided into 2 sections, the French Quarter ('Ville Blanche' or 'White town') and the Indian quarter ('Ville Noire' or 'Black Town'). Many streets still retain their French names and French style villas are a common sight in Puducherry. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas, and houses with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are identified and its architecture is preserved from destruction by an organization named INTACH. If ever anyone wishes to demolish an existing house in the town area and rebuild, they need the permission from this organization and the new built house has to resemble the earlier architectural beauty possessed before destruction. The use of French language can be still seen in Pondicherry.
The history of French India is lead by Joseph Francois Dupleix. The Statue of Dupleix in Pondicherry gives some idea about this Governor General in trying to consolidate French direction in parts of India. Dupleix was primarily responsible for the Carnatic Wars, killing many Indians and destroying local territory, as a repercussion of the struggle between England and France to capture India's riches. At first Joseph Dupleix was successful in resisting the attacks of the English East India Company, but he lost in the later battles.
The Statue of Dupleix was built by the French purposely to show their power in the city. Joseph Dupleix, the governor of Pondicherry, ruled the city. With the end of his governorship in 1754, the French dream of becoming the supreme power in India died. The Statue of Dupleix in Pondicherry was commissioned by France in 1870. Another statue was built in France for the French soldier who served France's interests in taking Indian territory.
When The Statue of Dupleix of Pondicherry was first built, then this 2.88 m tall statue stood over six granite pillars, heavily decorated and curved, at the Place du Republique. Later on, the position of the statue was changed. Now, the statue of Dupleix stands in another place. When you walk in the promenade, now known as Goubert Avenue, then you will find this statue at its southern end, now overlooking a children's park.
Official languages of government
| Pondicherry population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1961 | 369,079 |
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| 1971 | 471,707 | 27.8% | |
| 1981 | 604,471 | 28.1% | |
| 1991 | 807,785 | 33.6% | |
| 2001 | 973,829 | 20.6% | |
| Source: Census of India3 | |||
Official languages of Pondicherry are French, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Status of each languages varies differently with respect to each district. When communicating between districts of different languages, generally English is used for conveniencecitation needed.
1.French: It is also the official language of Pondicherry Union territory. It was the official language of French India (1673-1954) and its official language status was preserved by Traité de Cession (Treaty of Cession) signed by India and France on 28 May 1956.
It remained as the de jure official language of Puducherry U.T by the Article XXVIII of Traité de Cession which states that,
- Le français restera langue officielle des Établissements aussi longtemps que les représentants élus de la population n'auront pas pris une décision différente (French version)
- The French language shall remain the official language of the Establishments so long as the elected representatives of the people shall not decide otherwise (English version)
Regional official languages
2.Tamil: Language used by the Pondicherry Government when communicating within and between the Tamil majority districts of Pondicherry and Karikal. Also the official language in Tamil Nadu state.
3. Telugu: Another official language of Pondicherry, but used more within Yanam (Telugu district). So, more correctly, it is considered a regional official language of Puducherry while being the official language of Yanam District. It also has an official language status in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
4. Malayalam: Another official language of Puducherry, but used more within Mahé (Malayalam district). So, more correctly, it is considered a regional official language of Pondicherry while being the official language of Mahé District. It also has an official language status in Kerala State and Lakshadweep Islands Union Territory.
Language spoken in numbers
As of 2001, number of people speaking in each official languages are,citation needed
- Tamil: 820,749 (In Pondicherry and Karaikal Districts)
- Malayalam: 36,823 (In Mahe District only)
- Telugu: 31,362 (In Pondicherry and Yanam Districts)
- French: Above 10,000
Government & administration
Special Administration Status
According to Traité de cession dated 1956, the four former French colonies were assured of maintaining their special administrative status. That is why Pondicherry is the only Union Territory with some special provisions like Legislative Assembly, French as official language, etc.
The Article II of Traité de Cession states that,
- The Establishments will keep the benefit of the special administrative status which was in force prior to 1 November 1954. Any constitutional changes in this status which may be made subsequently shall be made after ascertaining the wishes of the people.
Pondicherry Freedom Fighters
- Way back in 1787 and 1791, farmers of Karaikal agitated against the heavy land tax imposed by the French. The first war of Indian Independence had its impact in the French settlements but it did not attract the attention of the rulers, as the incidents were few and considered as local. People employed legal means to fight against the French. In 1873, an advocate, Ponnuthammbi Pillai, moved to Paris court and won the case in which he was awarded a penalty by a French Magistrate in Pondicherry for walking into the court with footwear.
Pondicherry in literature
- Ananda Ranga Pillai (1709-1761), a dubash and famous writer.
- Pondicherry was the setting for the first third of the Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
- Lee Langley's novel A house in Pondicherry was likewise set there.
- In Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Prince Pondicherry has Willy Wonka build him a castle made entirely of chocolate, which quickly melts.
- In The second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the family of a murder victim resides at Pondicherry Lodge.
- Some Novels of M. Mukundan,Mahe former employee of French Embassy and famous Malayalam Writer .
Economy
Macro-economic trend
This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Puducherry at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.
| Year | Gross State Domestic Product |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,840 |
| 1985 | 3,420 |
| 1990 | 6,030 |
| 1995 | 13,200 |
| 2000 | 37,810 |
Puducherry's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $2 billion in current prices. The potential for fisheries is substantial in the Union Territory. The four regions of the Union Territory have a coastline of 45 km with 675 km² of inshore waters, 1.347 ha of inland water and 800 ha of brackish water. There are 27 marine fishing villages and 23 inland fishing villages with fishermen population of about 65,000 of which 13,000 are actively engaged in fishing. Irrigation tanks and ponds are also tapped for commercial fish rearing. The Railways play a vital role for speedy economic growth. The entire cost towards execution of the new broad gauge line for 10.7 km from Karaikal to Nagore would now be funded by the Ministry of Railways and work has already been awarded on turn key basis for laying the new railway line in a period of 18 months. The present availability of power is about 400 MW. The demand is likely to increase with the development of Port, Special Economic Zone, other industrial development, trade, commerce etc.It has been decided to expand the Puducherry Airport so that air services could improve gradually over years, to land ATR to Boeing aircraft, to meet the growing demand for air travel. A MoU has already been signed with Airports Authority of India for expansion of Puducherry Airport in two phases.
Tourist spots
Places to visit
- Arikamedu Archaeological Evacuation
- Aurobindo Ashram
- Auroville
- Botanical Garden
- Chunnambar Boat House
- Vedapureeswarar temple
- Varadarajaperumal temple
- Sri Manakula Vinayakar temple
- Panchavati Anjaneya temple
- Bharathi Park
- Romain Rolland Library
- Old Navy Pier
- Auroville beach
- Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary Cathedral, Mission Street
- Nellithope Mother Mary Church
- Villianur Mother Mary Church
- Holy Rosary Church, Muthialpet
- Kizhur Treaty Monument
- Pondicherry Museum
- Pondicherry Beach
- Veerampattinam Temple
See also
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College,Puducherry, India
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital,Puducherry, India
- Road Network in Puducherry District
- Causes for Liberation of French colonies in India
- Municipal Administration in French India
- List of Chief Ministers of Pondicherry
- Pondicherry (Lok Sabha constituency)
- Pondicherry Municipal Council
- French East India Company
- Coup d'État de Yanaon
- French colonial empire
- French India
- Life of Pi
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- JIPMER
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Auroville
- Ariyankuppam
- Muthialpet, Puducherry
- Lawspet
References
- ^ Bill to rename Pondicherry as Puducherry passed
- ^ BBC: "New name for old French territory"
- ^ "Population Analysis and Projections". Census of India. www.pon.nic.in. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
External links
- Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Pondicherry
- Pondicherry : Astha - Digital Audio Recording Studio
- Future of French India, by Russel H. Fifield (Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Michigan
- Pondicherry - its Early Origins
- Freedom struggle in Pondicherry
- Pondicherry Travel Agency / Agent - Agence de Voyage Pondichery
- Indian Ministry for External Affaires - 1956 Treaty of Cession
- Exploration Off Arikamedu by Archaeological Survey of India
- Commissioner of Central Excise and Service Tax, Pondicherry, falling under Ministry of Finance of Government of India
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| Union Territory of Puducherry [ ] Puducherry Topics | History | Economy | Geography | Culture | Tourism |
|
|---|---|
| Capital | Puducherry |
| Districts | Puducherry • Karaikal • Mahé • Yanam |
| Major Towns | Puducherry • Karaikal • Mahé • Yanam |
| Languages | French • Tamil • Malayalam • Telugu |
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 21 November 2008, at 14:19.
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