French Colonial Architecture, Pondicherry, South India
Situated on the Coromandel coast about 160 kms south of Chennai lies the Union Territory of Pondicherry The French ruled this territory for 300 years and today it stands as a living monument of the French culture in India It is bound on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the other three sides by the South Arcot District of Tamil Nadu About 150 kilometres south of Pondicherry on the east coast lies Karaikal while Mahe is situated on the Malabar coast Yanam is situated in the adjoining East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh Pondicherry traces its origin to Saint Agasthya the revered sage of the south The excavations near Pondicherry reveal that a Roman settlement existed here 2000 years ago It was also the site of many a battle between the British and the French and was the capital of French India before it attained its independence This restored attractive former French colony exudes a Mediterranean aura with its chic streets elegant houses ornamental gardens and the Hotel de Ville Being a small and quiet enclave of Tamil Nadu it has imbibed the Tamilian culture Apart from the charming atmosphere excellent restaurants and cheap beer what attracts most travellers to Pondicherry is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot Auroville 10 km outside town The ashram founded by Sri Aurobindo in the year 1926 has brought international reputation to this coastal town The ashram the spiritual tenets of which combine yoga and modern science is quite popular within India and abroad
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Photo credit: © BonkersAboutTravel / Alamy / Afripics
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