Pondicherry or Puducherry ( Tamil : புதுச்சேரி ), is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry District in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. Both the Union Territory and the city were previously known as Pondicherry before September 2006. Pondicherry is the largest urban agglomeration in Puducherry UT and has a population of 505,959 according to the 2001 Census Of In
dia. It lies in the coast of Bay of Bengal and 135 KM south of Chennai. The city came in 1673 under French rule and remained until 1954 as capital of French India. Pondicherry is known for its European style landscape and Aurobindo Ashram. Geography
The geography of Puducherry is the same as that of coastal Tamil Nadu. Puducherry's average elevation is at sea level, and a number of sea inlets, referred to as "backwaters" can be found. Puducherry experiences coastal erosion. The city is protected against the sea by a 1.25 mile (2-kilometre) 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. Town Structure
Puducherry city consists of 42 wards. Wards 1-10 are located in north of the city. Wards 11-19 are located in Boulevard Town and remaining wards are located in the South west of the downtown. Climate
The climate of Puducherry is again, very similar to that of coastal Tamil Nadu.Summer lasts from April to early June, when maximum temperatures frequently hit the 41 C mark. The average maximum temperature is 36 C. Minimum temperatures are in the order of 28 - 32 C. This is followed by a period of high humidity and occasional thundershowers from June till September. The Northeast Monsoon sets in during the middle of October, and Puducherry gets the bulk of its annual rainfall during the period from October to December. The annual average rainfall is 1240 mm. Winters are mild, with highs of 30C and lows often dipping to around 18 - 20C. Demographics
At the 2001 India census, Puducherry had a population of 220,749. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Puducherry has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Puducherry, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. The majority of Puducherrians speak Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or Malayalam. At the time of their departure from the country, the French colonisers gave Puducherrians the option to secure French nationality. However, few accepted the offer. There is a community of French people in Puducherry and a number of French institutions such as a consulate, French schools, the French Institute, and L'Alliance Française. A fascination for the French language and French culture is very common. Many French tourists visit this charming seaside town out of curiosity and because it feels familiar to their home country to a certain extent. There is also a sizeable community of Indians from other states of India, notably Bengal, Gujarat and Orissa. Many amongst them are there because of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo and his disciple, Mira Alfasa.
