About
Puducherry District
History
| History of Pondicherry | |
|---|---|
| Pre-colonial History | |
| Pallava Dynasty | 325 - 900C |
| Chola Dynasty | 900 -1279 |
| Colonial History of Pondicherry | |
| Portuguese set up a factory | 1523 |
The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises of the erstwhile French colonies viz. Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. The Puducherry and Karaikal regions are surrounded by the State of Tamilnadu, whereas Mahe is surrounded by the State of Kerala and Yanam by the state of Andra Pradesh.
The foundation of Pondicherry was laid in the year 1673 after the "La Compagnie française des Indes orientales" was successfully obtained firman from the Qiladar of Valikondapurarm under the Sultan of Bijapur. On 4th February 1673 a French Company Official by name Bellanger, took up residence in the Danish Lodge in Pondicherry. In 1674, the French Company placed François Martin as the first Governor and who initiated the ambitious project to transform Pondicherry from a small fishing village into a flourishing port-town.
District Profile
Puducherry district comprises of Puducherry, Mahe and Yanam regions. Puducherry region is the headquarters of Puducherry district.
| Region | Puducherry | Mahe | Yanam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map |  |
 |
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| Latitude | 11o 42' to 12o 30' North | 11o 42' to 11o 43' North | 16o 42' to 16o 46' North |
Note:- information based on population census 2011.
How to Reach...?
Pondicherry is well connected to the rest of India via a large network of National Highways, a Railway Terminal and a Domestic Airport. It is also in close proximity to International airports.
By Air
Puducherry's Domestic airport is connected to Bengaluru via daily flights - except for Wednesdays. The Air India flight departs Bengaluru at 3:35pm and reaches Pondicherry at 4:35. The return flight departs at 4:55 and reaches at 5:55. This is a 1 hour nonstop flight. Travellers can also drive down from the Domestic & International airports in Chennai, Trichy or Bengaluru. Both Chennai (151 kms) and Trichy (203 kms) are just few hours by road, while Bangalore (307 kms) is a little longer.
By Rail
Daily connectivity to Villupuram, Chennai and Tirupathy are available. While tri-weekly trains connect Pondicherry to Bangalore and Mumbai, other cities like Kolkatta, Bhubaneshwar, New Delhi, Mangalore and Kanyakumari are connected by a weekly train.
By Road
The best connectivity is definitely by road. Multiple buses ply daily to and fro between Chennai and Bangalore. From hop-on hop-off local buses, to air-conditioned multi-axle luxury ones, Pondy also offers overnighter luxury buses to Hyderabad (784 kms). Alternatively, one could just book a Taxi or coach for any of the above destinations.
Population
Population based on census - 2011
| Population | Puducherry | Mahe | Yanam | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POPULATION | ||||
| Male | 4,68,258 | 19,143 | 27,301 | 5,14,702 |
for more data refer Economics and Statistics website.