Puducherry or Pondicherry (as it was known till 2006), with a population of 2,44,000, is the largest city and the capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Tamil, English and French are the widely spoken languages here. Located at an elevation of 10 feet, the city is one of the main coastal cities of the Coromandel coast that relies largely on fisheries and tourism. As per the 2011 census, Puducherry District with a total population of 9,50,289 is the most populated district of the Union Territory of Puducherry and has a literacy rate of 85%. 37 % of the population of the district is in the working age, out of which 17 percent are in the agriculture sector, 2 percent in the household industry and the bulk of 81 % in services and industry. The earliest recorded history of Puducherry dates back to the 1st century AD, when The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions the market place and port of Poduke, on the Coromandel Coast that possibly correlates to the ancient port city of Arikamedu in the immediate vicinity that maintained active trade links with Rome. During the ancient and medieval period, Puducherry was a part of the Pallava, Chola, Pandaya, Vijaynagar and Nayak kingdoms before coming under the control of the Sultan of Bijapur. The name Poduke had been changed to Puduvai. When the Portuguese settled in the city they called it Puducheira. In 1674, the French set up their trading post in “Pondicherry” (meaning “New Town), converting the tiny fishing village into a grand port city by the 18th century. The town was divided into two sections: the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or White Town) and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or Black Town), both well preserved even today. Many streets of the French quarter retain French names, display the French grid pattern and feature perpendicular streets with buildings designed in the French colonial style, characterized by with long compounds and stately walls in contrast to the houses of the Indian quarter lined with verandahs and with large doors and grilles. Pondicherry became part of India in 1954. There are several temples, churches, government buildings, parks and mosques which attract tourists from across the world to Puducherry. The city was the residence of Sri Aurobindo and the unique township of Auroville, the brainchild of the Mother, situated on the outskirts of the city draws visitors from across the world.
