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Puducherry History
The capital city of this union territory is Puducherry. It covers a total land area of 492 Square Kilometers. The population of this town is 9,73,829. The main languages spoken here are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French. There are four districts which comprise this territory namely Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. The best season to visit Puducherry is between July and February. This town is connected by airways, by railways, and by roadways. Puducherry is a peaceful city. Puducherry is referred by names such as ‘Quintessence of French Culture’, ‘India’s Little France’ and ‘The French Riviera of the East’. This territory was under the French rule for nearly 281 years. Still it has the French flavor in it as one can see by the grand colonial mansions, beautiful boulevards, and placid promenades, spellings on sign boards and buildings, names of roads and public places.
Puducherry is a well planned and well built town. This is a typical example as one can learn the way the French people gave importance to order and flair. They are known for their rich and quality living. The French too had an eye on the wealth and the fertility of India. Thus the French dream of Indian empire began and got over by establishing their supremacy in Puducherry. The French constructed many buildings based on their craft and grand architecture. They developed an oval shaped, lovely ‘boulevard town’ – the French quarter. This French quarter was laid out in a geometric grid pattern with straight roads intersecting at right angles. A boulevard encircled the town and a grand canal, divided it into two sections- one the Tamil side called as Ville Noire or the black town and the other, a European side which was known as Ville Blanche or the white town. The impressive Ville Blanche or white town resembles a typical Medieval French township clotted with fine built monuments, government buildings, majestic mansions, elegant churches and lush green parks.
AreaLocationClimateAgricultureSoil and vegetationRivers and lakes
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Area of Pondicherry is fascinating because of its exquisite beauty. The Union territory of Pondicherry covers an area of 480 sq km. The Union territory spread over four regions with enjoys the status of a district: Mahe (Kerala), Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh) and Karaikal (Tamil Nadu). The district of Pondicherry is located nearly 180 km south of Chennai, on the east coast. Karaikal lies on the east coast, nearly 150 km south of Pondicherry, Yanam district is situated on the east coast and Mahe district is located on the Malabar coast on the Western Ghats.
The Pondicherry area is almost plain. The climate of the Union Territorry is typically tropical. Pondicherry and its territories are located on the drainage basin of river Gingee. The district of Karaikal lies in one of the most fertile delta of India namely Cauvery delta and it is flooded by rivers like the Nulur, the Vanjiar the Arasalar and the Natter. The Mahe town is bounded by Mahe river on its north. The town of Yanam is flooded by the Gorinagar. The total population of Pondicherry is 9,73,829 comprising of 4,86,705 males and 4,87,124 females. In Pondicherry 1005 of the land is utilized in various activities like agriculture , industrial purposes and other socio economic activities. The net sown area in the region are 25 hectares which is 51.02% of the total land.
An important characteristic of the Union Territory is that the area of Pondicherry is devoid of any forest area.
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The location of Pondicherry makes it a perfect destination for tourists from all over India. It encompasses a total area of 480sq.km. The geographical location of Pondicherry is between 11°56' North Latitude 79°50' East Longitude. The total population of the Union Territory is 9,73,829, of which 4,86,705 are males and 4,87,124 are females.
Three hundred years ago Pondicherry was a colony of France and constituted of the four establishments of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. The Union Territory of Pondicherry of India still follows the same division into four districts.
The district of Yanam lies where the river Coringa bifurcates from Godavari and is surrounded on all the sides by the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. It is spread an area of 30 sq km and has the total population of 20297 as per the 1991 census.
Mahe covers an area of 9 sq km with a total population of 33447 as per 1991 census. It is located on the south of River Mahe where it falls into the Arabian Sea and on the northern part of Kozhikode district in Kerala.
Pondicherry covers an area of 293 sq kms and is surrounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the south by South Arcot district. As per 1991 census, the total population is 6,08,338.
Karaikal is located 16 km. North of Nagapattinam and from Tarangambadi (Tranquibar) 9 km south. On the east of Karaikal lies Bay of Bengal. It encompasses an area of 160 sq. km and has a population of 1,45,703 as per 1991 census.
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The Union Territory of Pondicherry enjoys pleasant climate. During the summer season the temperatures may rise to a high of 38 degrees. The temperature is not as extreme as the desert climate.
Pondicherry experiences hot and humid climate for the maximum part of the year, with temperatures varying between 26° C and 38° C. The summer season is mostly dry with a clear and blue sky. The summer season extends from March till July, and the temperature varies between 24.50° C to 38° C. For tourists the ideal time to visit Pondicherry is between the months of March and October.
The winter season in Pondicherry starts in the month of November and is effected by the northeast monsoon. The monsoon showers cool the days and nights. The monsoon showers on the west coast of the land makes the weather pleasant in the months of July-August. The winters are cool compared to the summers but the temperature never falls below 20 degrees.
The monsoon season in Pondicherry is very small compared to other parts f India. The region receives good rainfall during the months from November to January and from July to September. The percentage of humidity is very high in Pondicherry, which is very common in coastal areas. The high level of humidity makes the summer season uncomfortable
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Agriculture is one of the main occupation of the people of the Union territory of Pondicherry. Paddy, form a major crop of Pondicherry agriculture. Some of the other crops grown in the region are condiments, chillies, spices, pulses, coconuts, groundnut and arcanuts. During 200-01, rice was cultivated on 27,972 hectares of land.
About 45 % of the total population of Pondicherry is engaged in agriculture and other related pursuits. The irrigation facility of the Union Territory is very developed as 90 % of the cultivated area is irrigated. Pondicherry is mainly irrigated through tanks and tube wells. There are 84 tanks in the region which helps to irrigate 6,765 hectares of land with a capacity of holding 46.4 mcm of water.
Pondicherry agriculture is facing certain setbacks due to the regular use of chemical fertilizers resulting in the depletion of soil nutrient and also inhibiting the natural growth of micro-organisms. The Department of Agriculture has been taking certain initiatives to solve these problems.
The crops grown in the Karaikal district are pulses, coconuts, cotton, chilies, vegetables, sun flower and ground nuts etc. The district of Mahe is covered by typical red lateriate soil. Yanam district grows ragi, paddy, fenugreek, jowar, pulses,coconut, coriander, etc
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The vegetation of Pondicherry comprises of various types of plants including woody plant group, hedge plants, ornamental plants, hydrophytes, halophytes etc. The district of Karaikal of Pondicherry has flat land with no mountains or forests. The maximum area of the land is covered by red ferrallite black clay and coastal alluvial soil types. The lush green natural beauty of the region owes immensely to the Pondicherry soil and vegetation. The soil of Pondicherry has formed from the herbaceous organic deposits with underlying sandy textured sediments. The crops that are commonly grown in the region are paddy, pulses, coconuts, cotton, chilies, vegetables, sun flower and ground nuts etc. The region is partially covered by tropical dry evergreen species like Pamburus missionsis, Lepisanthus tetraphylla, Diosypyros ebnum, Glycosmis pentaphylla, Atlantia monophylla
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There are two principal basins in Pondicherry: the Gingee River which cuts the territory diagonally and Pennaiyar forming a rim in south. Gingee runs north west to south east of Pondicherry. There are quite a few lakes in Pondicherry. The largest two of them are Bahour and Oussoudu mainly used for fishing purpose. They lie in Pondicherry district. The main fishes found in these lakes are sardines, shark, ribbon fish and many more. Fishery earns good revenue for Pondicherry all through the year but especially from the month of May to July.
The lush green scenic treat of Pondicherry is mainly due to the kind of soil found. It is a perfect blend of historical and geographical treasure. Along with rich culture and legacy, nature has treasured lots of resources in this storehouse. If you want peaceful co existence of nature with technology, welcome to Pondicherry, the French Riviera of East.
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Puducherry
