|
|
|
|
| |
Language
The indigenous population of Pondicherry is of Tamil origin but Pondicherry is home to a whole host of people from different Indian states as well as from European countries. The French influence lingers on even half a century after their departure it can be seen in the architecture and culture of Pondicherry down to the red ‘kepi’ worn by the local policemen.
Many of the locals born during French rule opted for French citizenship and continue to have close ties with France sending their children there for education etc. The Aurobindo Ashram also attracts a large number of foreigners - many of whom put down roots in Pondicherry.
Many people in Pondicherry are bilingual – comfortable in French as well as Tamil.
|
Religion
Most of the people of Pondicherry are Hindus. There are a large number of Muslims and Christians. Christianity is a legacy of French colonial rule evident in the city’s cathedrals, churches and convents.
|
Food
Pondicherry is known for its food. Naturally. The French have an ancient culinary tradition that married with local cuisines to create what one writer calls a "mosaic of culinary integration". Pondicherry is the one place in India where one can buy bona fide French baguettes, brioches and pastries. Those apart, local restaurants specialise in good French food that is served up along side Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati and Punjabi cuisines.
|
Culture and Crafts
With a resident population that is truly multi-national and multi-ethnic, Pondicherry’s culture is a cosmopolitan one with strong ties to the indigenous culture of the region. A direct consequence of the exposure to so much diversity has been a secular attitude that is characteristic of the native of Pondicherry.
The crafts of Pondicherry are both traditional and contemporary. The former are of course those crafts that are indigenous to the area and use local materials in long-established ways. ‘Puducheri bommai’ are hand made dolls crafted from terracotta, papier-mache and plaster while ‘korai’ mats are woven from a grass found locally. The contemporary crafts of Pondicherry owe much to the ethos and philosophy of the Aurobindo Ashram. From the Ashram come such ecologically sound crafts as hand made paper, rice paper, incense sticks, candles, hand woven cotton textiles, hand embroidered and painted fabrics, crochet, macramé bags, wall hangings and mats, wooden furniture, paper lamps, perfumes, rose water, cosmetics and herbal beauty products.
|
Related Features on Puducherry  | Pondicherry - a geographical space, once a French settlement, now a Union Territory of India. But herein lies the catch ... | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Holiday Packages
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Travel Tools
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |