The
Great Transformation
Legend
has it that the great sage Agastya came to Vedapuri, by which name the
present Pondicherry was once known, only to worship Vedapuriswara, one
of the oldest deities worshipped here. The deity, Lord Shiva, the
presiding spirit of Vedapuri, was also known as “Agatiswara” the
Lord of Agastya. Pondicherry was traditionally a seat of learning and
Vedic culture. Such a tradition must have developed from the presence
of a great sage in a remote past, surrounded by seekers and disciples
living in his Ashram.
Pondicherry is just a speck on the map of India. Yet, men have been
fascinated by this speck from time immemorial. It attracted to its
shores the Romans and the Chinese. It saw the advent, rise and fall of
Buddhism, the resurgence of Hinduism and the penetration of
Christianity and Islam through two millennia.
An Ancient Roman Settlement
Known as ‘Poduke’ to the classical geographers of Greece and Rome,
the ancient port of Pondicherry flourished from the 2nd century BC. It
has now been established that the place had a Roman settlement about
2,000 years ago. Excavations at Arikamedu, near Ariankuppam, on the
outskirts of the present city prove that the Romans settled here and
regular commerce was carried on between the port of Pondicherry and
the Roman cities. The area later formed part of the kingdom of the
Pallavas, the Cholas, the Vijayanagar rulers and the Nayaks.
The French came following the Portuguese and the Dutch, and took root
here. In the 18th century, in the wake of wars between England and
France, the city changed hands several times. At last, the French took
it over on 26th September 1816 and continued to rule for one hundred
and thirty eight years, till they left the shores on 31st October
1954, following the transfer of power. Thus, the region, which saw the
confluence of different peoples, has grown into a repository of a very
high standard of art and culture.
Unity In Diversity
Pondicherry is the corruption of “Puducherry”, which means a new
hamlet. The fact that people speaking 55 different languages reside
here and that Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, French and English are the
five official languages certainly raises eyebrows. In spite of this
linguistic plethora, there is no confusion but absolute harmony.
There are very few streets in the town not sanctified by the precincts
of a temple, a church or a mosque. Many temples here are ten centuries
old and a few churches date back to the end of the 17th century.
Festivals are recurrent; people from all religions regardless of their
caste and creed join the celebrations, and thereby spread a festive
mood all around. In fact there is no place in India where religious
harmony is so natural.
The Promenade
Pondicherry is oval-shaped with parallel streets cutting each other at
right angles. The long canal street, that runs from north to south was
constructed on purpose to separate the Black town lead to the
Promenade, via the White Town. The Promenade, one of the finest in the
whole country, is 1,500m long. It is an irresistible attraction for
the young and the aged alike.
At the southern tip of the Promenade stands the statue of Monsieur
Dupleix, the greatest French Governor of Pondicherry whose majestic
presence reminds the natives that he was once the king of their land.
Further to his back is the port with a new pier, a 284m long structure
in concrete. At the northern tip of the Promenade is the Distillery.
Midway on the Promenade stands the 4.25m tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi
flanked by eight exquisitely hewn monolithic pillars facing the
sprawling Gandhi Maidan, where the status of Jawaharlal Nehru stands.
Facing the waves of the Bay of Bengal is the Town Hall, once known as
‘Hotel de Ville’ and ‘Mairie’. To its left is the War Memorial
erected by the French to honour the Pondicherry soldiers who died in
the First World War.
The Government Square
The 200 year old ‘Raj Niwas’, the official residence of the
Lieutenant Governor; the ‘Cercle de Pondichery’ where the moneyed
and the people of alien cultures drink, gamble and dance; the Assembly
Hall that remained shut for years together but is now in full swing;
the General Hospital and the Maternity Hospital, that are heavily
crowded round the clock, and the ‘Chamber of Commerce’ are so
lined up on three sides as to form the Government Square or Park.
Some charmingly chiselled pillars bought from Gingee to Pondicherry
after the capture of its Fort in 1751 adds beauty to the Park. As the
centre of the Park, formerly the ‘Royal Garden’, stands a small
surprise. Surprising indeed, for it is a monument built not in honour
of a queen or of an empress but of a harlot. The fact that Napoleon
III, Emperor of France, who reigned during the later half of the 19th
century, was responsible for erecting this building to commemorate a
16th century harlot adds to our curiosity. The harlot belonged to
Pondicherry. Her charitable nature had made direct supply of water to
the town possible.
