Pondicherry has a glorious history. A lot of foreign rulers have been here including the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French. But out of all of them, the French have had the greatest influence with their rule spreading across centuries.

According to mythology, it is said that Pondicherry was the abode of Sage Agasthya and the place was known as Vedapuri. It is believed that Pondy had trade relations with the Romans, proof of which is found in the excavations at Arikamedu which is 7 kms from Pondy. The town fell into the hands of the successive rulers of the place which includes the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Pandyas.

In 1673 the French started their rule over Pondicherry and were involved with regular conflicts between the English over the possession of the place. The disputes were however settled over an agreement between the French and the British. Subsequently the place was returned to India.

Pondicherry is now the capital of the union territory of Pondicherry and is located in the Coromadel coast of the Bay of Bengal. The union of Pondicherry consists of four places, namely Pondicherry and Karaikal in Tamilnadu, Yanam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahe in Kerala. However it is Pondicherry that has been most influenced by the French.

After Pondicherry was handed over to India, the people here were given an option of holding French or Indian passports. There are a lot of citizens who opted for the French passports and there are over thousands of French citizens living here. The remnants of French rule can be clearly felt here. The town is planned in the French manner and the streets remind one of the French culture. The churches and the French consulate building etc speaks a lot of he French rule.