Pondicherry: Pondicherry

Pondicherry is a city district and capital of the union territory of Pondicherry. It is enclaved within the state of Tamil Nadu. People in the city of Pondicherry today speak both French and English in addition to Tamil. Signboards bearing only French and English, and not the regional language Tamil, can be seen quite often in Pondicherry.

The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometer) long seawall, first completed by the French in 1735, which reaches a height of 27 feet above sea level. 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. The boulders, some weighing up to a ton, are weathered black and brown.

Famous people who have lived in Pondicherry include Sri Aurobindo and Subramanya Bharathy who took part in the Indian independence movement. Hollywood film director M. Night Shyamalan was born in Pondicherry. It is also the birthplace and home of the titular character in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, before he emigrates to Canada. The city houses Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram, a spiritual community dedicated to The Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and vision.