by Ever heard the name “Pondicherry French Quarter”? Well, if you have not, the pristine town of Pondicherry has a piece of France embedded in it. Over the years, multiple people ruled over Pondicherry with Dutch, Portuguese and French being one of them.
In this Union Territory, a piece of France still exists in form of Pondicherry French Quarter. More so, at the time of Indian independence, the people of that era were offered the possibility of keeping their French passports too.
As many of these people were of French origin, Pondicherry French quarter exists in form of restaurants that serve French cuisine and villas that still carry a legacy of France within them.
This is the story of “Pondicherry French Quarter and you will definitely love it!
I had an opportunity to visit Pondicherry in 2017 and saw a distinct French influence in its food and architecture. For a while, you would get confused if you are in India or France indeed.
French Street Pondicherry
The French design structure forms the core of the region known as Pondicherry French Quarter. The perpendicular streets are its core strength and Pondicherry French quarter tourist places including its designer homes lies on one side of canal with the other portion being occupied by Indian origin people.
As I walked through the Pondicherry French Quarter streets, I came to know that four streets namely Rue Dumas, Rue La Bourdonnais, Rue Suffren and Rue Romain Rolland comprise the core of French street Pondicherry.
Photo by Kate Gundareva
French Styled Homes
If you ever come across Pondicherry French colony photos, you will see that these French villas which are obviously colonial styled have a large compound, high rise walls and majestically done doors. The high walls are a symbol of defining personality of French people who wish to keep their lives behind closed doors unlike Indians who are social to the extent that their veranda is visible from miles across.
Another unique thing that I noticed while crisscrossing the Pondicherry French Quarter on foot was that the villas in this region have been coloured in peach, white and yellow. It was also noteworthy that the climate in Pondicherry is quite humid so you will find that most of the villas in Pondicherry French Quarter have terrace with thatched roof to keep the ambiance cool.
The ornate wooden grills on windows and doors look unique and beautiful against the big white columns which you will find in homes here.
Pondicherry French Colony Homestay
One thing I noticed while wandering through streets of Pondicherry was that most of the villas in Pondicherry French Quarter have been converted into guest houses and home stays. One of these is the “Colonial Heritage Villa”. The rustic look of the interiors impressed me here and effort had been put in by the owner to create a lively ambiance as dim yellow light had been used extensively. Like this villa, in others too which have been converted into homestays, I found that terraces had bamboo huts with thatched roofs. This gives the guests a unique opportunity to experience the rural life while living in a city!
French Colony Pondicherry History
The history of Pondicherry French Quarter goes back to 17th century. During this era, Pondicherry was a part of France as a colony. You will find a bit of history embedded in every building and monument of French Quarter including The Basilica of the Scared Heart of Jesus, French Consulate, Raj Niwas and many other monuments that have been standing steady since ages here.
Vibrant Streets and Lively People
It seems that not only the people but the streets in Pondicherry French quarter are also vibrant. Graffiti on the road and walls make this town lively and vibrant indeed. Many of these graffiti have been done with quite imagination and you will feel that these are alive and walking.
This is one city in India where you will find more people on foot than in vehicles. Indeed, Pondicherry or Puducherry is a town of walkers! Heritage walk is a popular component of this town and tourists visiting Pondicherry French quarter make it a point to cover this region on cycle rickshaw.
Ambient Artistic Impression
Art has been embedded in every nook and corner of Pondicherry French Quarter. Be it Kalki boutique where you find handcrafted jewellery, clothing and home decor items or Cluny embroidery center located in an old traditional French home.
You can also visit Alliance Francaise which is popular as the culture center of French quarter. A range of exhibitions and cultural events keep happening here all the while and you will surely get an impression of rich cultural heritage of this region when you visit this center.
Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV
Pondicherry French Café
Pondicherry French quarter has some great eateries that serve authentic French cuisine. Among these was “La Maison Rose” which has a French chef. New York Cheese Cake and guava compote are some of the best dishes which I tried at “La Maison Rose”. This eatery has closed ever since.
Baker Street bakery is another of the French Café that perhaps serves the best breakfast in Pondicherry French Quarter. Cheesecakes, pies, baguettes and croissants are some of the items that should be on your menu when you visit this place.
Heritage Walk in Pondicherry French quarter
All through the week, you can be a part of heritage walk in Pondicherry French quarter region. The much-expected start of this walk is from Sri Aurobindo Ashram which was the home of Arbindo Ghosh who was a noted social reformer.
A unique aspect of this heritage walk as I remember is through lanes of Pondicherry French quarter which gives you an ample firsthand experience of life of its residents. On the way, you will come across Raj Niwas and Pondicherry Legislative Assembly too. Bharati Park having numerous statues and sculptures also comes along the way mesmerizing your unique Pondicherry experiences.
Places of worship like Eglise de Norte and Norte Dame Church also fall on the way and provide you an insight into colourful and exclusive life of this region of India.
As this tour comes to an end, you can have refreshments at de l’Orient a heritage hotel that was a grand mansion in 18th century. This heritage walk is conducted twice a day at 9:00 am and 3:00pm. Booking for the same can be done through an email or WhatsApp.
A trip to Pondicherry in general and Pondicherry French quarter in particular is like getting into a time machine. The pace of life is slow, people are friendly, and you can wander in the streets leaving all your worries and tensions behind, at least for the duration, you are in this heaven!
Featured image by Sivarao sanapalli
