Try to visualise a city as a quirky blend of French finesse and Indian zest, where baguettes meet dosas and croissants mingle with chai. Yes, you heard it right—it’s like a culinary crossover episode happening on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Join us on this wild ride through lanes adorned with bougainvillaea, where every street corner seems to whisper “bonjour” and “vanakkam” simultaneously. Puducherry —it’s not just a place; it’s a state of mind, and we’re here to soak it all in, one laugh and one pastry at a time!
Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, gained its significance as “the French Riviera of the East” after the advent of French colonisation in India. Puducherry is the Tamil interpretation of “new town” and mainly derives from “Poduke”, the name of the marketplace or “port town” for Roman trade in the 1st century. The settlement was once an abode of learned scholars versed in the Vedas, hence it was also known as Vedapuri. Often referred to as the French capital of India, Puducherry is a vibrant, coastal city with a quaint charm. The original name of the territory, Putucceri, is derived from the Tamil words putu (“new”) and ceri (“village”) or “New settlement”. The French changed this to Pondichéry, which it was called until its name was officially changed to Puducherry in 2006. The city sits on the southeastern coast of India, about 170 kms from Chennai. ( courtesy : incredibleindia.gov.in )
