Arnold Zwicky's Blog

This morning’s name is Pondicherry, a place in southeast India. Or, now, Puducherry. From Wikipedia:

Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry … , is a Union Territory of India formed out of four enclaves of former French India and named after the largest, Pondicherry.

The Tamil name is …. (Puducherry), which means “New Town”. Historically known as Pondicherry (Pāṇṭiccēri), the territory changed its official name to Puducherry (Putuccēri) on 20 September 2006. It is also known as “The French Riviera of the East” (La Côte d’Azur de l’Est).

The plan of the city of Puducherry is based on the French grid pattern and features perpendicular streets. The town is divided into two sections: the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or ‘White town’) and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or ‘Black Town’.) Many streets retain French names, and villas in French architectural styles are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and with large doors and grilles.

… At the time of Puducherry’s transfer to India in 1954, residents were given a choice to remain French or to become Indian citizens. Those with French passports today are generally descendants of residents who chose to keep their French citizenship.

… The official languages of Puducherry are Tamil (89%), Malayalam (4.8%) and Telugu (2.9%). The status of each language varies by district. When communicating between districts of different languages, generally English is used for convenience.

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