Pondicherry: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
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== Notable people == |
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===Literature=== |
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* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
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===Spiritual=== |
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* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
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* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
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===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
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* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
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* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
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* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
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* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
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===Science and Technology=== |
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* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
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* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
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* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
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===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
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* [[V. Subbiah]] |
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* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
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* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
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* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
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* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
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* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
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* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
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===Armed Force=== |
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* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
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== Fictional == |
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* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
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== Gallery == |
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<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
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Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
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File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
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image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
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File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
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image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
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Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
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image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
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image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
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image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
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File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
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File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
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File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
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File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
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File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mahé, India]] |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
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* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* [[Pondicherry University]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
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<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2012}} |
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{{multiple issues |refimprove=September 2012 |essay-like=September 2012}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
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== Notable people == |
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===Literature=== |
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* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
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===Spiritual=== |
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* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
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* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
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===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
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* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
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* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
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* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
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* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
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===Science and Technology=== |
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* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
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* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
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* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
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===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
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* [[V. Subbiah]] |
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* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
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* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
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* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
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* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
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* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
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* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
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===Armed Force=== |
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* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
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== Fictional == |
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* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
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== Gallery == |
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<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
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Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
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File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
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image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
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File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
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image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
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Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
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image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
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image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
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image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
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File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
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File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
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File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
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File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
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File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mahé, India]] |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
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* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* [[Pondicherry University]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
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<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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<!--end of Navigation boxes--> |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2012}} |
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{{multiple issues |refimprove=September 2012 |essay-like=September 2012}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
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== Notable people == |
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===Literature=== |
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* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
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===Spiritual=== |
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* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
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* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
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===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
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* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
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* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
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* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
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* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
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===Science and Technology=== |
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* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
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* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
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* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
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===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
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* [[V. Subbiah]] |
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* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
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* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
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* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
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* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
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* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
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* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
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===Armed Force=== |
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* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
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== Fictional == |
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* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
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== Gallery == |
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<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
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Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
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File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
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image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
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File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
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image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
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Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
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image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
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image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
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image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
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File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
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File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
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File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
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File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
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File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mahé, India]] |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
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* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* [[Pondicherry University]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
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<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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<!--end of Navigation boxes--> |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2012}} |
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{{multiple issues |refimprove=September 2012 |essay-like=September 2012}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
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== Notable people == |
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===Literature=== |
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* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
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===Spiritual=== |
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* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
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* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
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===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
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* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
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* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
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* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
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* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
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===Science and Technology=== |
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* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
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* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
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* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
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===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
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* [[V. Subbiah]] |
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* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
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* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
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* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
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* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
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* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
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* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
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===Armed Force=== |
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* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
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== Fictional == |
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* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
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== Gallery == |
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<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
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Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
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File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
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image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
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File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
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image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
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Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
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image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
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image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
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image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
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File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
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File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
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File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
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File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
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File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mahé, India]] |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
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* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* [[Pondicherry University]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
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<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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<!--end of Navigation boxes--> |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2012}} |
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{{multiple issues |refimprove=September 2012 |essay-like=September 2012}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
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== Notable people == |
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===Literature=== |
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* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
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===Spiritual=== |
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* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
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* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
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===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
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* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
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* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
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* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
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* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
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===Science and Technology=== |
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* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
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* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
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* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
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===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
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* [[V. Subbiah]] |
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* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
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* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
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* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
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* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
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* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
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* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
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===Armed Force=== |
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* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
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== Fictional == |
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* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
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== Gallery == |
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<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
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Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
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File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
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image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
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File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
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image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
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Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
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image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
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image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
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image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
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File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
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File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
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File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
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File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
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File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mahé, India]] |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
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* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* [[Pondicherry University]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
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* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
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<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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<!--end of Navigation boxes--> |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2012}} |
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{{multiple issues |refimprove=September 2012 |essay-like=September 2012}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
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| name = Pondicherry |
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| native_name = பாண்டிச்சேரி |
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| native_name_lang = Tamil |
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| other_name = புதுச்சேரி |
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| settlement_type = capital |
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| image_skyline = Puducherry Park Monument retouched.jpg |
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| image_alt = |
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| image_caption = Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| map_alt = |
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| map_caption = |
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| pushpin_map = India Pondicherry |
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| pushpin_label_position = right |
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| pushpin_map_alt = |
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| pushpin_map_caption = |
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| latd = 11.930965 |
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| latm = |
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| lats = |
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| latNS = N |
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| longd = 79.785182 |
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| longm = |
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| longs = |
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| longEW = E |
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| coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]] |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Puducherry]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]] |
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| subdivision_name2 = [[Pondicherry district|Pondicherry]] |
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| established_title = Established |
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| established_date = 1673 |
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| founder = |
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| named_for = |
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| government_type = |
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| governing_body = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_rank = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| elevation_m = 3 |
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| population_total = 654,392 |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_rank = |
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| population_density_km2 = 9166 |
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| population_Metro = 654,392 |
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| population_metro_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| demographics_type1 = Languages [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[French language|French]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] |
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| demographics1_info1 = | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] |
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| utc_offset1 = +5:30 |
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| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] |
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| postal_code = 605001-605014 |
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| area_code_type = Telephone code |
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| area_code = 91 (0)413 |
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| registration_plate = PY-01 |
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| website = |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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'''Pondicherry''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}} (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or {{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|n|d|ɨ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛr|i}} and "Pondichéry" in French) or '''Puducherry''' (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a [[municipality]] in [[Pondicherry district]] in the [[India]]n [[territories of India|union territory]] of [[Puducherry]]. It is affectionately known as '''Pondy''', and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006. |
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== History == |
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{{Main|History of Puducherry}} |
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[[File:Pondicherry waterfront 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Pondicherry waterfront circa 1900]] |
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The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History. |
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A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] Kingdom of [[Kanchipuram]] in the 4th century. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] of [[Thanjavur]] held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the [[Pandyan Dynasty|Pandya]] Kingdom in the 13th century. The [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Sultan of Bijapur]]. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of [[French India]]. |
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== Topography == |
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The [[topography]] of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Pondicherry's average elevation is at [[sea level]], and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "[[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]]" can be found. |
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Pondicherry experiences [[coastal erosion]]. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long [[seawall]], first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above [[sea level]].<ref>http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/</ref> A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop [[erosion]]. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong. |
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== Town structure == |
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[[File:Pondicherry map.png|thumb|Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Puducherry, India]] |
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Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in ''Boulevard Town'' and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.<ref>[http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/CDP_Puducherry.pdf Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: ''City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report,'' March 2007, S. 159]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Pondicherry Panorama 1.jpg| |
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|height = 360 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry town |
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}} |
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== Economy == |
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{{Expand section|date=February 2011}} |
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Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer [[General Airconditioners]].<ref name="jvlaunch">{{cite news|title=ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs |url=http://hindu.com/businessline/2000/09/20/stories/192002ea.htm|date=19 September 2000|agency=[[The Hindu]] Business Line|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> |
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In 2012, the [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] inaugurated the ''Smart Grid'' project in Puducherry.<ref name="smartgrid">{{cite news|title=Smart grid project inaugurated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/smart-grid-project-inaugurated/article4015596.ece|date=2012-10-20|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> |
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== Climate == |
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The [[climate]] of Pondicherry is classified by [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]] as [[tropical wet and dry climate|tropical wet and dry]] (As),<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/2790/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|accessdate=6 October 2013}}</ref> similar to that of coastal [[Tamil Nadu]]. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the {{convert|41|°C|0}} mark. The average maximum temperature is {{convert|36|°C|0}}. Minimum temperatures are in the order of {{convert|28|-|32|°C|°F|0}}. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. |
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The [[northeast monsoon#Post-monsoon|northeast monsoon]] sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is {{convert|1240|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm</ref> Winters are warm, with highs of {{convert|30|°C|0}} and lows often dipping to around {{convert|18|-|20|°C|°F|0}}. |
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{{Weather box |
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|metric first=yes |
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|single line=yes |
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|location=Pondicherry |
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|temperature colour=pastel |
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|Jan high C=28.3 |
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|Feb high C=29.5 |
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|Mar high C=31.5 |
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|Apr high C=33.5 |
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|May high C=36.4 |
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|Jun high C=37.1 |
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|Jul high C=35.5 |
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|Aug high C=34.7 |
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|Sep high C=34.1 |
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|Oct high C=31.7 |
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|Nov high C=29.2 |
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|Dec high C=28.1 |
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|Jan mean C=24.5 |
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|Feb mean C=25.2 |
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|Mar mean C=27.2 |
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|Apr mean C=29.6 |
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|May mean C=31.7 |
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|Jun mean C=32.1 |
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|Jul mean C=30.8 |
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|Aug mean C=30 |
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|Sep mean C=29.6 |
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|Oct mean C=27.9 |
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|Nov mean C=25.9 |
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|Dec mean C=24.7 |
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|Jan low C=20.7 |
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|Feb low C=21 |
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|Mar low C=22.9 |
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|Apr low C=25.7 |
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|May low C=27.1 |
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|Jun low C=27.1 |
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|Jul low C=26.1 |
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|Aug low C=25.4 |
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|Sep low C=25.1 |
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|Oct low C=24.2 |
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|Nov low C=22.7 |
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|Dec low C=21.3 |
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|precipitation colour=green |
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|Jan precipitation mm=32 |
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|Feb precipitation mm=9 |
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|Mar precipitation mm=9 |
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|Apr precipitation mm=18 |
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|May precipitation mm=50 |
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|Jun precipitation mm=45 |
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|Jul precipitation mm=82 |
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|Aug precipitation mm=154 |
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|Sep precipitation mm=114 |
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|Oct precipitation mm=229 |
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|Nov precipitation mm=285 |
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|Dec precipitation mm=144 |
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|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 11m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> |
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}} |
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== Demographics == |
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<!--[[File:Pondy 024.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Jesus Church]]--> |
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At the 2011 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. |
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The majority of Pondicherrians speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], or [[Malayalam]]. There is a community of [[French people]] in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a [[consulate]], the [[French Institute of Pondicherry|French Institute]], and L'[[Alliance Française]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/places/02417.htm |title=Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha |publisher=Boloji.com |date=2002-11-10 |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> |
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There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably [[West Bengal]], [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} |
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== Urban agglomeration == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Local bodies |
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! Area |
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! Population |
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|- |
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| Pondicherry Municipality |
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| 19.54 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 241,773 |
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|- |
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| Oulgaret Municipality |
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| 36.70 km<sup>2</sup> |
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| 300,028 |
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|- |
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! Total |
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! 56.24 km<sup>2</sup> |
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! 541,801 |
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|} |
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'''Data according to 2001 census'''. |
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There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km<sup>2</sup>. of the total 292 km<sup>2</sup>. |
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== Transport == |
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[[File:PRTC-JnNURM-bus-blue.jpg|thumb|A PRTC deluxe bus.]] |
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Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the [[East Coast Road]] through [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="ECRfastlane">{{cite news|title=After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2922388.ece |first=Deepa|last=Ramakrishnan|date=23 February 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> The [[Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation]] runs buses within the city.<ref name="urbanroutes">{{cite news|title=20 buses launched in urban routes | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article466675.ece |date=8 June 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-19}}</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] operates [[Volvo]] air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.<ref name="boonkancheetnstc">{{cite news |title=A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC |url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/19/stories/2010021950820200.htm |first=Venkatasubramanian |last=V|date=19 Feb 2010|agency=[[The Hindu]] |location=Kancheepuram|accessdate=2012-09-15}}</ref> There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees. |
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Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including [[Delhi]] and [[Mangalore]].<ref name="delhitrain">{{cite news|title=Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2133605.ece|date=25 June 2011|agency=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref><ref name="mangaloretrain">{{cite news|title=Changes in train timings |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3891397.ece|date=13 September 2012|agency=[[The Hindu]]|location=Puducherry|accessdate=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Pondicherry Airport]] |
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supports charter flights and a local flying training school. |
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== Tourism == |
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{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}} |
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[[File:PondicherryFrenchWarMemorial.jpg|thumb|French War Memorial]] |
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{{Main|Tourism in Puducherry}} |
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in [[South India]]. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city. |
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[[File:Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.JPG|thumb|left|Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are [[Promenade Beach]], Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest [[ashram]]s in India. [[Auroville]] (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. |
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There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the [[Promenade Beach]], such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the [[French Institute of Pondicherry]] at Saint-Louis Street. |
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Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house{{clarify|date=December 2011}} are very popular. |
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Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. |
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Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR. |
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Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called [[Villianur]] (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as ''Periya Koil'' "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers{{clarify|date=December 2011}} in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola kings]]. There is also a huge "temple pond". The [[Chithirai Thiruvizha#Ther Thiruvizha|"Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival)]] is celebrated at this temple. |
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The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends. |
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{{Panorama |
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|image = File:Beach Promenade at Pondicherry panorama.jpg |
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|height = 230 |
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|caption = Panoramic view of Pondicherry beach |
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}} |
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== Institutions == |
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* Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry. |
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* Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam. |
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* [http://www.pondiuni.edu.in Pondicherry University], kalapet |
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* Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry) |
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* [[Pondicherry Science Forum]] |
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* Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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*Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science |
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* College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet |
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* RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram |
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* Tagore Arts College, Lawspet |
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* Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet |
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* Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI. |
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* Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology |
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* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]], JIPMER |
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* Bharathidasan Government College for Women. |
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* Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences. |
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*Alpha College of Engineering & Technology |
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* [[Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research]] |
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* Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology. |
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* Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College. |
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* Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology |
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* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
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* Achariya Arts & Science College |
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* Christ College of Engineering & Technology |
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* Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College |
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* Achariya College of Engineering & Technology |
|||
== Notable people == |
|||
===Literature=== |
|||
* [[Tamil people|Tamil]] Poet [[Bharathidasan]]. |
|||
===Spiritual=== |
|||
* [[Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo]] took part in the [[Indian independence movement]]. |
|||
* [[Mirra Alfassa]] |
|||
===Actors, directors and performance artists=== |
|||
* [[M. Night Shyamalan]], American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry |
|||
* [[Anandaraj]], Tamil movie actor |
|||
* [[Kalki Koechlin]], Bollywood actor |
|||
* [[Ayesha Kapur]] |
|||
===Science and Technology=== |
|||
* [[S. Somasegar]], Senior vice president, [[Microsoft]] |
|||
* [[Ganapathi Thanikaimoni]], Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry |
|||
* [[Yvonne Artaud]], French educationalist and psychologist. |
|||
===Politicians and Public Servants=== |
|||
* [[V. Subbiah]] |
|||
* [[Edouard Goubert]] |
|||
* [[V. Venkatasubha Reddiar]] |
|||
* [[M. O. H. Farook]] |
|||
* [[V. Vaithilingam]] |
|||
* [[V. Narayanasamy]] |
|||
* [[N. Rangasamy]] |
|||
===Armed Force=== |
|||
* French General [[Jacques Lauriston]] was born in Pondicherry. |
|||
== Fictional == |
|||
* The titular character in [[Yann Martel]]'s ''[[Life of Pi]]''. |
|||
== Gallery == |
|||
<gallery widths=165px height=150px align="center"> |
|||
Image:Puducherry beach.jpg|[[Promenade Beach|Beach Promenade]] |
|||
File:Harbor at pondicherry beach.jpg|Harbor at Pondicherry beach |
|||
image:GandhiStatuePondicherry.jpg|[[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s Statue |
|||
File:Rock beach aerial view.jpg|Pondicherry beach viewed from light house |
|||
image:FrenchWarMemorial inPuducherry.jpg|French War Memorial |
|||
Image:Puducherry Park Monument.JPG|Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park |
|||
image:Puducherry Government Park.JPG|Bharati Park (Government Park) |
|||
image:Puducherry Immaculate Conception Cathedral ArM.jpg|The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
|||
File:ImmaculateConceptionPondy28.JPG|Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral |
|||
image:Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry Front.JPG|The Church of Our Lady of Angels |
|||
File:Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry.jpg|Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry |
|||
File:Beach Promenade, Pondicherry, India.jpg|Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India |
|||
File:Pondichery Panneau3 cropped.jpg|Street sign in Tamil and French |
|||
File:Puducherry Tamil house.jpg|Puducherry Tamil house |
|||
File:Pondicherry.JPG|French Consulate |
|||
</gallery> |
|||
== See also == |
|||
* [[Mahé, India]] |
|||
* [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] |
|||
* [[Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute]] |
|||
* [[Pondicherry Engineering College]] |
|||
* [[Pondicherry University]] |
|||
* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
|||
* [[Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]] |
|||
== References == |
|||
{{Reflist|2}} |
|||
== External links == |
|||
{{Commons category|Puducherry}} |
|||
* {{en icon}} [http://www.pon.nic.in Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry] |
|||
* {{en icon}} [http://www.pondytourism.in Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry] |
|||
* {{en icon}} [http://www.zoompondy.com Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...] |
|||
* {{en icon}} [http://www.about-pondicherry.blogspot.in About Pondicherry ] |
|||
* {{en icon}} [http://www.actupondy.com Map and information about Pondicherry] |
|||
<!--start of Navigation boxes-->{{-}} |
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{{State and Union Territory capitals of India}} |
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{{Puducherry}} |
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<!--end of Navigation boxes--> |
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[[Category:Cities and towns in Pondicherry district]] |
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[[Category:Puducherry]] |
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[[Category:Municipalities of Puducherry]] |
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{{Link GA|de}} |
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{{other uses}} |
{{other uses}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}} |
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Revision as of 05:18, 6 August 2014
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Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
 Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
 |
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach -
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue -
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house -
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park -
Bharati Park (Government Park) -
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception -
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral -
The Church of Our Lady of Angels -
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry -
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India -
Street sign in Tamil and French -
Puducherry Tamil house -
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
| This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. |
Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach
-
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
-
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
-
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
-
Bharati Park (Government Park)
-
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
-
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
-
The Church of Our Lady of Angels
-
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
-
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
-
Street sign in Tamil and French
-
Puducherry Tamil house
-
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
| This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
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Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach
-
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
-
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
-
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
-
Bharati Park (Government Park)
-
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
-
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
-
The Church of Our Lady of Angels
-
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
-
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
-
Street sign in Tamil and French
-
Puducherry Tamil house
-
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
| This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. |
Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach
-
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
-
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
-
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
-
Bharati Park (Government Park)
-
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
-
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
-
The Church of Our Lady of Angels
-
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
-
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
-
Street sign in Tamil and French
-
Puducherry Tamil house
-
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
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Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach
-
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
-
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
-
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
-
Bharati Park (Government Park)
-
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
-
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
-
The Church of Our Lady of Angels
-
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
-
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
-
Street sign in Tamil and French
-
Puducherry Tamil house
-
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
| This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. |
Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
|
Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
-
-
Harbor at Pondicherry beach
-
Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
-
Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
-
French War Memorial
-
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
-
Bharati Park (Government Park)
-
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
-
Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
-
The Church of Our Lady of Angels
-
Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
-
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
-
Street sign in Tamil and French
-
Puducherry Tamil house
-
French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry
| This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. |
Pondicherry
பாண்டிச்சேரி புதுச்சேரி | |
|---|---|
capital | |
Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park of Pondicherry | |
| Country | India |
| State | Puducherry |
| District | Pondicherry |
| Established | 1673 |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 654,392 |
| • Density | 9,166/km2 (23,740/sq mi) |
| Languages Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam | |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 605001-605014 |
| Telephone code | 91 (0)413 |
| Vehicle registration | PY-01 |
Pondicherry (/pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtʃɛri/ (Tamil: பாண்டிச்சேரி) or /pɒnd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈʃɛri/ and "Pondichéry" in French) or Puducherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி) is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. It is affectionately known as Pondy, and has been officially known by the alternative name Puducherry since 2006.
History
The City of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French. Though nearby places like Arikamedu, Ariyankuppam, Kakayanthoppe, Villianur, Bahur which were annexed by the French East India Company over a period of time and which became the Union Territory of Pondicherry after Independence have history predating the Colonial History.
A marketplace named Poduke or Poduca is recorded as a Roman trading destination from the mid 1st century. The area was part of the Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram in the 4th century. The Cholas of Thanjavur held it from the 10th to 13th centuries, only to be replaced by the Pandya Kingdom in the 13th century. The Vijayanagar Empire took control of almost all the South of India in the 14th century and lasted until 1638, to be supplanted by the Sultan of Bijapur. The French acquired Puducherry in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954 (de jure in 1956), when it was incorporated into the Indian Union along with the rest of French India.
Topography
The topography of Pondicherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Pondicherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found.
Pondicherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level.[1] A weather-beaten cement plaque with the year 1952 is still visible along a section of the seawall. The seawall is protected from the direct onslaught of waves by rows of granite boulders which are reinforced every year to stop erosion. Whenever gaps appear or the stones sink into the sand, the Government adds more boulders to keep it strong.
Town structure
Pondicherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the southwest of the downtown.[2]
Economy
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
Businesses headquartered in Pondicherry include manufacturer General Airconditioners.[3]
In 2012, the Ministry of Power inaugurated the Smart Grid project in Puducherry.[4]
Climate
The climate of Pondicherry is classified by Köppen-Geiger system as tropical wet and dry (As),[5] similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 °C (106 °F) mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 °C (97 °F). Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28–32 °C (82–90 °F). This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September.
The northeast monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Pondicherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1,240 mm (49 in).[6] Winters are warm, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows often dipping to around 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
| Climate data for Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.4 (97.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.5 (90.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30 (86) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
21 (70) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
9 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
18 (0.7) |
50 (2.0) |
45 (1.8) |
82 (3.2) |
154 (6.1) |
114 (4.5) |
229 (9.0) |
285 (11.2) |
144 (5.7) |
1,171 (46.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 11m[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 2011 India census,[7] Pondicherry had a population of 675,000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Pondicherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Pondicherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Pondicherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam. There is a community of French people in Pondicherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française.[8]
There is also a sizable community of Indians from other states of India, notably West Bengal, Gujarat and Odisha.[citation needed]
Urban agglomeration
|
| Local bodies | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pondicherry Municipality | 19.54 km2 | 241,773 |
| Oulgaret Municipality | 36.70 km2 | 300,028 |
| Total | 56.24 km2 | 541,801 |
Data according to 2001 census.
There are two proposals by the Puducherry government, firstly to merge Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities, and upgrade Pondicherry municipality into a '"municipal corporation", and secondly to upgrade Villianur and Ariyankuppam commune panchayats into municipalities, which would increase the Pondicherry region's urban area around 155 km2. of the total 292 km2.
Transport
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram.[9] The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city.[10] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates Volvo air-conditioned services from Chennai to Pondicherry.[11] There are daily bus services from several main stops from Chennai. These are koyambedu, sholinganallur, ashok pillar, etc. The bus fare ranges from 250-400 Indian rupees.
Pondicherry is connected by train to several places including Delhi and Mangalore.[12][13] Pondicherry Airport supports charter flights and a local flying training school.
Tourism
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Pondicherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Pondicherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied city.
The most popular tourist destinations are the four beaches in Pondicherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serenity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.
There are a number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such as the Children's Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Pondicherry Museum and the French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street.
Pudducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from Pondicherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house[clarification needed] are very popular.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam on Manakula Vinayagar Street is a very famous Hindu temple, which houses Lord Ganesha. Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry i.e. before 1666. According to Sasthra, Lord GANESHA is named in 16 types based on his various forms, out of which this god facing the east coast near the Bay of Bengal was named as Bhuvaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil, 'Manal' means sand and 'Kulam' means pond near the sea. Earlier, there was full of sand around the pond. So, the people called the god as Manal Kulathu Vinayagar [means God near the pond of sand]. Later, it was named as MANAKULA VINAYAGAR.
Thirukaameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called Villianur (the ancient name is Vilvanallur, meaning "vilva marangal niraindha nalla vur"), which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Pondicherry town. This temple is renowned as Periya Koil "Big Temple". The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers[clarification needed] in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. It is thought to have been built by one of the Chola kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". The "Ther Thiruvizha" (Car Festival) is celebrated at this temple. The most attractive and benificiary for tourists here is liquor available in various stalls,pubs will be very cheap.Most of the people from chennai visit pondicchery due to this reason only in the weekends.
Institutions
- Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Periakalapet, Puducherry.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pillaiyarkuppam.
- Pondicherry University, kalapet
- Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (Govt. of Puducherry)
- Pondicherry Science Forum
- Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Science
- College of Nursing, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet
- RAAK Engineering College, Arumbharthapuram
- RAAK Nursing College, Arumbharthapuram
- Tagore Arts College, Lawspet
- Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Lawspet
- Mahatma Gandhi post graduate institute for dental sciences,MGPGI.
- Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, JIPMER
- Bharathidasan Government College for Women.
- Mother Theresa Post-Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
- Alpha College of Engineering & Technology
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
- Sri Ganesh College of Engineering & Technology.
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College.
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Achariya Arts & Science College
- Christ College of Engineering & Technology
- Saradha Gangadharan Arts & Science College
- Achariya College of Engineering & Technology
Notable people
Literature
- Tamil Poet Bharathidasan.
Spiritual
- Sri Aurobindo took part in the Indian independence movement.
- Mirra Alfassa
Actors, directors and performance artists
- M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, born in Mahe, Pondicherry
- Anandaraj, Tamil movie actor
- Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood actor
- Ayesha Kapur
Science and Technology
- S. Somasegar, Senior vice president, Microsoft
- Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, Indian scientist and director of the Palynology laboratory of the French Institute of Pondicherry
- Yvonne Artaud, French educationalist and psychologist.
Politicians and Public Servants
- V. Subbiah
- Edouard Goubert
- V. Venkatasubha Reddiar
- M. O. H. Farook
- V. Vaithilingam
- V. Narayanasamy
- N. Rangasamy
Armed Force
- French General Jacques Lauriston was born in Pondicherry.
Fictional
- The titular character in Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Gallery
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Harbor at Pondicherry beach
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Mahatma Gandhi's Statue
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Pondicherry beach viewed from light house
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French War Memorial
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Park Monument (Aayi Mandapam) in the Government Park
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Bharati Park (Government Park)
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The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
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Interior of Immaculate Conception Cathedral
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The Church of Our Lady of Angels
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Soldier on guard at gate of Government Palace, Pondicherry
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Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry, India
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Street sign in Tamil and French
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Puducherry Tamil house
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French Consulate
See also
- Mahé, India
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute
- Pondicherry Engineering College
- Pondicherry University
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
- Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
References
- ^ http://www.pondicherryonline.in/Profile/Geography/
- ^ Town and Country Planning Department, Pondicherry, India: City Development Plan – Pondicherry, Final Report, March 2007, S. 159[dead link]
- ^ "ETA-Fujitsu venture launches General ACs". Chennai. The Hindu Business Line. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Smart grid project inaugurated". Puducherry. The Hindu. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Climate: Pondicherry - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ http://education.vsnl.com/imdchennai/rdwr.htm
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Pondicherry: Forever France? by Anand Jha". Boloji.com. 10 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (23 February 2012). "After a decade on fast lane, ECR is set to expand". Chennai. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "20 buses launched in urban routes". Puducherry. The Hindu. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ V, Venkatasubramanian (19 February 2010). "A boon to Kancheepuram unit of TNSTC". Kancheepuram. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "Delhi-Puducherry train link from July 3". The Hindu. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Changes in train timings". Puducherry. The Hindu. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
External links
- Template:En icon Official website of the Government of the Union Territory of Puducherry
- Template:En icon Official website of Department of Tourism, Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Pondicherry - Events, News, Articles, Directory, Classifieds and more...
- Template:En icon About Pondicherry
- Template:En icon Map and information about Pondicherry