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With a coast line of 32 kms, well-planned French
Boulevard town, palm-fringed beaches, resorts, backwaters, water sports
centre, fishing villages, harbour, the pier, the famous Aurobindo Ashram,
the international city of Auroville, world-renowned Yoga centres and other
attractions, Pondicherry is the ideal place to spend your holidays with
your family. There's something for every one.
The origin of Pondicherry is buried in legends. According
to one view, the town was once called Vedapuri and was a seat of Vedic
culture, and the abode of Sage Agastya. Prof. Jonvean Dubrouil, the French
archeologist believes that the Ashram of Agastya was on the very spot
where the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram stands
today.
Remnants of an ancient port town have been excavated at
Arikamedu, 6 kms from Pondicherry town, clearly proving that it had
trade connections with Rome and Greece, around the period 100 BC and
100 AD.
Pondicherry continued to flourish even during the
Chola period, as the discovery of the Chola coins from the eleventh and
twelfth centuries indicate. These Chola coins and the artefacts from the
excavations at Arikamedu can be viewed in the Pondicherry
Museum.
Modern
Pondicherry
The history of modern Pondicherry starts with the arrival
of the French in 1673, who ruled for most part of the next
281 years.
The Union
Territory of Pondicherry consists of
- Pondicherry the capital, 162 kms South of Chennai
on the East coast of South India.
- Karaikal, 132 kms South of Pondicherry.
- Yanam, in the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradhesh,
and
- Mahe, in the Cannanore District of
Kerala.
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