Background
Puducherry, the Union Territory whose administration is in the news, has a documented history reaching back to the beginning of the common era. Excavations at Arikamedu, about 7 km to the south of the town, show that Romans came there to trade in the 1st Century AD, and the trade included dyed textiles. The territory saw a succession of European powers: the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French have all been present. The French first set foot there in 1670, and their undisturbed rule finished in 1954. The name 'Puducherry' is the French interpretation of the original name 'Puducheri', meaning 'new settlement'. By the 18th century the fishing village had grown into a grand port city, and its symmetrically aligned streets and monuments still carry that inheritance.
Distance of Arikamedu from the town:
About 7 km to the south
Roman trade at Arikamedu:
1st Century AD
French arrival:
1670
End of undisturbed French rule:
1954
Meaning of the name:
New settlement
Why it matters for exams: Arikamedu as evidence of Indo-Roman trade and the sequence of European powers in Puducherry are standard ancient history and modern history questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Arikamedu Archaeological site near Puducherry — A coastal site where excavations found evidence of Roman trade contact with South India.
Background
The Union Territory of Puducherry is not one continuous block of land. The Union Territory comprises two distinct districts, Puducherry and Karaikal. The Puducherry district comprises the Puducherry region and two outlying administrative units, Mahe and Yanam. All four bear a strong resemblance to the colonial French rule of earlier times, and the districts maintain a blend of agriculture and industry, with much of the rural population engaged in farming while educated residents work in service sectors. Monuments, cultural traits and social customs across the regions reflect that shared past.
Distinct districts:
Puducherry and Karaikal
Outlying administrative units:
Mahe and Yanam
Shared colonial inheritance:
French rule
Economic mix:
Agriculture and industry
Why it matters for exams: The non-contiguous make-up of Puducherry and the placement of Mahe and Yanam are among the most frequently asked facts about this Union Territory.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Union Territory Territory administered by the Union — A region of India administered directly by the Central Government, some of which have their own legislature.
Background
The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises the former French establishments of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, which lie scattered in South India. It is a Union Territory with a legislature and extends over an area of 479 square kilometres. Its total population is 12,44,464 with a literacy rate of 86.55, as per the 2011 Census (Provisional). The main languages spoken are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French. Puducherry town, the capital of the Territory and once the headquarters of the French in India, lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, bounded on the east by the sea and on the other three sides by Tamil Nadu.
Area:
479 sq km
Population (2011 Census, Provisional):
12,44,464
Literacy rate:
86.55
Four former French establishments:
Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam
Why it matters for exams: Area, population and literacy of Puducherry and its status as a Union Territory with a legislature are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Union Territory with legislature UT having its own Legislative Assembly — A Union Territory that, unlike most, has an elected Assembly and a Council of Ministers.
Background
All the regions of Puducherry were under French rule for 138 years. On 1 November 1954 the French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union and became a Union Territory. Only in 1963 did Puducherry become officially an integral part of India. Puducherry still has a large number of Tamil residents holding French passports, whose ancestors were in French government service and who chose to remain French at the time of Independence. Apart from monuments of the French period, the territory has a French Consulate and institutions such as the French Institute, the Alliance Francais and the Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient, along with the Foyer du Soldat for war veterans of the French Army.
Duration of French rule:
138 years
De facto transfer:
1 November 1954
Officially an integral part of India:
1963
French cultural institutions:
French Institute, Alliance Francais, Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient
Why it matters for exams: The 1954 de facto transfer, the 1963 completion of integration and the French institutions of Puducherry are repeatedly asked in modern history and polity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
De facto transfer Transfer in practice before legal completion — Administration passed to India in 1954 while the formal legal transfer was completed later.
Background
The four regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry lie scattered across South India. Puducherry town is about 135 km from Chennai Airport and is bounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the other three sides by Tamil Nadu. Karaikal lies about 130 km south of Puducherry on the East Coast. Mahe is on the Malabar coast on the Western Ghats, surrounded by Kerala, and is about 70 km from Calicut Airport. Yanam adjoins the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh and is about 200 km from Visakhapatnam Airport.
Puducherry from Chennai Airport:
About 135 km
Karaikal from Puducherry:
About 130 km south
Mahe from Calicut Airport:
About 70 km
Yanam from Visakhapatnam Airport:
About 200 km
Why it matters for exams: Map-based questions on which State surrounds each Puducherry region are among the commonest Kerala PSC and UPSC items on this Union Territory.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Malabar coast South-western coast of India — The Arabian Sea coastline running along Kerala and parts of Karnataka.
Background
The culture of Puducherry combines religious, cultural and spiritual fairs and festivals. Among the popular festivals with religious significance are Kinni Radhothsavam at the Kamatchiamman Temple, Masi Magam, Brahmothsavam at the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Bastille Day on 14 July, the Fire Walking Festival, the annual festival at the Muthumariamman Temple and a 22-day festival at the Drowpathiamman Temple. The International Yoga Festival in January and the Veerampattinam Car Festival are the two famous festivals. In and around Puducherry there are more than 350 temples. As a former French colony, the territory shows French influence in architecture, cuisine and lifestyle, alongside the influence of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Local handicrafts include leather, woodcraft, pottery and metal craft.
Bastille Day:
14 July
International Yoga Festival:
January
Temples in and around Puducherry:
More than 350
Drowpathiamman Temple festival:
22 days
Why it matters for exams: Festivals peculiar to Puducherry, especially Bastille Day and the Veerampattinam Car Festival, are typical art and culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bastille Day French national day, 14 July — Marked in Puducherry because of its French colonial past.
Background
Yanam is one of the regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry and lies 870 km away from it. It is situated on the East Coast of the Indian peninsula at 16 degrees 42 minutes northern latitude and 82 degrees 11 minutes eastern longitude, bounded on all sides by the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The town of Yanam lies at the spot where the River Coringa, also called Atreya, branches off from the Gauthami into two parts. The entire region, consisting of Yanam town and six villages, is treated as a Municipality for local administration. The region covers an area of 30.0 square kilometres and had a population of 31,362 according to the 2001 Census.
Distance from Puducherry:
870 km
Area:
30.0 sq km
Population (2001 Census):
31,362
Composition:
Yanam town and six villages
Coordinates:
16 deg 42 min N, 82 deg 11 min E
Why it matters for exams: Yanam's coordinates, its enclave position inside Andhra Pradesh and its single-municipality administration are typical map and polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Enclave Territory surrounded by another jurisdiction — Yanam is governed from Puducherry but is physically surrounded by Andhra Pradesh.
Background
Mahe, known in Malayalam as Mayyazhi, is a region of the Union Territory of Puducherry situated on the estuary of the Mayyazhi river and the Arabian Sea. The regional administration describes it as a land titled the Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea, very small in extent, and as a tiny point on the geographical map of Kerala. Mahe lies 630 km away from Puducherry, from which it is governed. It is a former small French territory, and its institutions include an Ayurveda Medical College, the Indira Gandhi Polytechnic College, a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a Kendriya Vidyalaya and the Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts and Science College.
Local name:
Mayyazhi
Distance from Puducherry:
630 km
Location:
Estuary of the Mayyazhi river and the Arabian Sea
Epithet used by the administration:
Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea
Why it matters for exams: Mahe's position inside Kerala, its Malayalam name Mayyazhi and its distance from Puducherry are frequently asked Kerala PSC facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Estuary Mouth where a river meets the sea — A partly enclosed coastal water body where river water mixes with seawater.
Background
The uniqueness of Puducherry town lies in its skilful town planning and Franco-Tamil architecture. The town is built on the model of a bastide, a fortified French coastal town of the late 18th century. The French flavour survives in grand colonial mansions, boulevards, promenades, the spellings on signboards and buildings and the names of roads and public places. Puducherry is referred to by names such as the Quintessence of French Culture, India's Little France and the French Riviera of the East. The French Consulate is located there, along with cultural organisations of which the French Institute, the Alliance Francais and the Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient are noteworthy.
Town plan model:
Bastide, a fortified French coastal town of the late 18th century
Architectural style:
Franco-Tamil
Epithets:
India's Little France, The French Riviera of the East
Cultural organisations:
French Institute, Alliance Francais, Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient
Why it matters for exams: Franco-Tamil architecture, the bastide town plan and the French Institute are standard art and culture questions on Puducherry.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bastide Fortified planned town in France — A planned, often grid-laid fortified town; Puducherry's street grid follows this model.