India Info Centre » Union Territories

Pondicherry

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 23:11:00 +0000

Inspite of its diminutive size, Pondicherry attracts a large percentage of tourists visiting India. The unique spiritual charm of the place in enhanced by the fact that it was a home to the great poet Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (whose real name was Mirra Alfassa and she was born in Paris. An accomplished pianist and a painter, she became a follower of Shri Aurobindo and later came to be known as the Mother). The Auroville, with its multinational, multilingual and multicultural population is the realized dream of both these visionaries, to build a universal society living in complete harmony. Pondicherry is at present, a union territory with its area scattered over three different states in the country. The capital of the union territory of Pondicherry is also known as ‘Pondicherry’ and is situated on the Coromandel Coast on the Bay of Bengal, at a distance of 162 Kms from Chennai. Karaikal is another part of Pondicherry, which is also situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. The other two parts are Yanam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahe located on the southern side of river Mahe in the westcoast of Kerala.

Once a French colony, Pondicherry still has a few French families living there and French is an important language. The French spirit can be discerned in the very layout of the township. The magnificent statues of Joseph Francois Dupleix and Joan of Arc, the warrior saint of France tell of a significant French influence on the history of the place. The French Institute of Indology and Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient are the living legacies of the former French occupation of the territory.

Languages

Languages spoken in Pondicherry are Tamil, Telugu, Malayam, Hindi, French and English.

Climate

The state enjoys a tropical climate, it is usually hot and humid and the monsoon lasts from October to December.

Religion Hindu, Christian, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam.
Capital Pondicherry
Time Zone GMT +5.30 hrs
Area Codes
Pondicherry 0413
Karaikal 4368
Mahe 497
Yanam 884

Important Festivals

International Yoga Festival (January)
Sani Peyarchi Festival (Once in every three years)
Panguni Uthiram Festival (March – April)
Veeerampattinam Festival
Masi Magan
Pongal

Statistics

Area
Total 492 sq.km
Pondicherry 293 sq.km
Karaikal 160 sq.km
Mahe 9 sq.km
Yanam 30 sq.km
Population
Total 9,12,000
Males 408081
Females 399704 (Census 1991)
Literacy Rate 90%
Road length (total) 2251Kms
Total No. of motor Vehicles 1,41329 (1995-96)
No. of telephone lines 39339
No. of telephone exchanges 16
Per Capita electricity consumption 161KWH
Economy
Net State Domestic Product 26185 lakhs (1996)
Per capita income Rs 11677
Per capita investment in Rs 8311 (1995-96)

TOURISM

Arikamedhu

It is an archaeological site at a distance of 20 kms from the Pondicherry town. Recent excavations here have revealed some Roman coins, wine jars and other remains, which prove that Arikamedhu was the earliest Indo – Roman trading centre.

Auroville

The city of Dawn as it is also called was established in 1968. People from many parts of the world have settled down here making it a microcosmic replica of the world – a number of different communities living in harmony. There are about 40 settlements in Auroville.

Bharati Museum

The house of the famous poet Subramaniya Bharati at Easwaran Dharmaja Koil Street has been made into a museum.

Bharatidasan Museum

Another poet Kanaksubburatnam wrote under the name of Bharatidasan, he scaled the same heights in poetry as Bharati had done. His house at Perumal Koil Street has also been made into a museum.

Boat House

The boathouse is on the bank of river Chunnambar at a distance of 8 Kms from Pondicherry.

Botanical Garden

The garden was laid out in the year 1826. Many plants were brought here from the different parts of the country and also places like Ceylon and Reumian.

Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus

A church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus with beautiful stained glass windows depicting scenes from life of Jesus Christ.

Government Square

The Governor’s Square encloses a beautiful garden which has a monument Aayi Mandapam at its centre. There are some carved monolithic pillars, which were brought to Pondicherry from Gingee in 1751.

Pondicherry Museum

Here are many artifacts that belong to the bygone era of Pondicherry. The relics of the Chola, Pallava and the Vijaynagar periods trace the history of this place.

Promenade

An ideal place for a stroll, the Promenade is a 1.5Km long walk built along the beach. On the beachfront, there are statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Jeanne d’Arc and Dupleix, a war memorial, the Heritage building and an old lighthouse that is 27 metres tall.

Raj Niwas

This palatial building is completely French in style and was the residence of Joseph Francois Dupleix. It is now the residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of Pondicherry.

Shri Aurobindo Ashram

Shri Aurobindo, a famous poet established the Ashram in 1920. The Samadhi in the Ashram premises is the final resting place of Sri Aurobindo and the mother. The Ashram has become a centre for the practice of Yoga and a place of learning. The ashram activities include agriculture, industries, art and culture.

Thiruvakkarai

Thiruvakkarai or Tiruvakkarai is at a distance of 30 kms from the Pondicherry town. The first Wood-Fossil Park of the country is situated here. The Chandramouliswara Temple is another tourist destination in this place.

Pondicherry Beach
Pondicherry has a beautiful unpolluted beach that is 1.5km long.

The other places of tourist interest in Pondicherry are: -

French Institute
Jawahar Toy Museum
Manakula Vinayanagar
Mansion Anandha
Mailam Murugan Temple
Mandagupettu
Ousteri Lake

INDUSTRIAL PROFILE

Tourism and fisheries are the obvious industries of Pondicherry but other specialized industries in the area have also been developed. The emergence of these industries has strengthened the industrial infrastructure of the place, which in turn assists and promotes further industrial development and progress.

Industrial Infrastructure

Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation
Industrial Estates
Thattanchavady
Kattukupam (the rural industrial estate)
Mettupalayam
Sederapet
Kirumampakkam
Resources

Bank
Total no of branches 96
Power
Power availability 225 MN
Power generated 32.50 MW
Industries large scale Total
Food Products 3 798
Cotton Products 7 730
Wood Products — 413
Paper Products 3 337
Leather, Rubber and Plastics 4 516
Chemicals and Chemical products 11 1410
Non metallic Mineral Products 4 246
Metal products 2 723
Machinery products 2 440
Miscellaneous products — 172
Repairing and servicing — 236
Total
6162

Upcoming Industrial Areas

Electronic Industrial Estate is coming up at Thiruvanai, at a distance of 20 Kms from Pondicherry.
Software Technology Park (in association with the Software Technology Park, Bangalore) is coming up at Kalapet, Pondicherry.
Export Processing Zone is being established in Sedarapet, Pondicherry.
A Growth Centre is being developed in Polagam, Karaikal
Integrated Infrastructural Development Centre is being developed in Sedarapet, Pondicherry.
There are ample investment opportunities in the state especially in the industries related to:

Information Technology and Software
Electronics
Agro processing including marine products
Textiles including garments
Leather products and footwear
Light Engineering including Auto components

Lakshwadeep

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:46:20 +0000

CAPITAL – KAVARATTI
AREA IN Sq. km – 0.03
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – MALAYALAM AND MAHI

A Union Territory of India, Lakshadweep is a group of some two dozen islands with a total land area of 32 square kilometres scattered over 30,000 square miles of the Arabian Sea. Out of these islands, only ten are inhabited and they are Andrott, Amini, Agatti, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmath, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Kiltan and Minicoy. These islands form the smallest of the Union Territories of India, and are the country’s only coral islands. The name Lakshadweep means “Hundred Thousand Islands” in the Malayalam language and also in Sanskrit.

Climatic conditions are similar to that of Kerala coast. Average rainfall is 1600mma year with the major share from thesouthwest monsoon. Almost all islands experiance tropical climate with temperature ranging from 25 degrees c to 35 degrees c and humidity ranging from 70 -76 per cent during the most part of the year. March, April and May are the hottest months of the year.

The administrative centre is Kavaratti.The jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court extends over Lakshadweep.

History
It is generally believed that the first settlement on these islands was made by Cheraman Perumal, the last king of Kerala, as a result of shipwreck on the stormy Arabian seas. But the historical record shows that, around the 7th century, a Muslim saint was shipwrecked on the island of Amini. He converted the inhabitants here to Islam, despite initial opposition. After many difficulties he was able to carry out his mission, and to this day, the people of Lakshadweep follow Islam. Although the sovereignty remained in the hands of the Hindu Raja of Chirakkal, it eventually passed to the Ali Raja of Cannanore (Kannur) in the 16th century, the only Muslim royal family of Kerala, and later, in 1783 to Tipu Sultan. Following the defeat of Tipu Sultan by the British, at Srirangapattanam in 1799, the islands were annexed by the East India Company. It remained with the British until Independence, when it was made a Union territory of the Indian Union in 1956.

Society and Culture

Of the 36 islands in Lakshadweep, only 10 are inhabited, mainly due to lack of drinking water in the other islands. The people are warm, friendly and god-fearing. The language spoken in all the islands except Minicoy is Malayalam. In Minicoy, the largest island of the group, they speak Mahl, a dialect of the ancient Singhalese.

The people are of mixed Arab and Hindu descent, akin to the Moplahs of Malabar. 90 percent of the people are devout Muslims who follow the matrilineal system still prevalent in some parts of Kerala but are matrilocal in residence. The young man continues to stay in his mother’s house after his wedding and visits his wife every evening. Remarriage for both men and women is accepted. As Muslims, they have conservative customs and traditions and yet they are liberal in approach. 93% of the popultion are indigenous Muslims.

In Minicoy things are a little different. Here a man after marriage not only moves to his wife’s home but also adopts her family name. Marco Polo described Minicoy as a female island. Women are dominant and make all the decisions.

History comes alive in folk ballads that women chant during their house – hold chores. Events of the past – the arrival of Hazrat Ubaidullah in Lakshadweep, the plunder of the islands by the Portuguese, have been perpetuated by the balladeer.

The young men have some spirited folk dances. The women are modest with colourful dress and wear their jewellery in safety. The people of Minicoy have a good sense of colour, painting their houses, furniture and boats in bright and tasteful combinations. Seamen from Minicoy are to be found on merchant ship all over the world.

Economy

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Lakshadweep economy, the major products being coconut and coir. Coconut is the only major crop grown here, with a production of around 26.5 million nuts in 1994-95. Coconut fibre extraction and conversion of its fibre products is the main industry in the islands. In some places the underlying coral has been excised and the tracts fertilized with organic matter; these support the cultivation of bananas, vegetables, edible root crops, and millet. Coir (coconut husk fibre), a state monopoly, is traded for rice from the mainland. The other major activity here, is fishing. Immense potential for development in fisheries has resulted in the setting up of boat-building yards, canning and processing factories and adoption of mechanised fishing boats.The islands stand first in the country in per capita availability of fish.The annual fishlanding crossed the level of 10000 MTs in 1996

Tourist Centres

Tourist facilities in Lakshadweep have been developed by way of luxury cruises around the islands. All tourists need permission to visit Lakshadweep. Four of the inhabited islands (Kavaratti, Kalpeni, Minicoy and Kadmath) are open to Indian tourists and Bangaram, an uninhabited island, is open to both domestic and foreign tourists. Bangaram has facilities for water sports. Swimming, fishing, sailing in glass – bottomed boats which give enchanting views of the coral below, and yachting are the main attractions. Wood – carving in the Ujra Mosque at Kavaratti, the tomb of Hazrat Ubaidullah at Andrott, the Buddhist archaeological remains at Andrott, and the famous light house at Minicoy, are some of the places worth visiting. Cheriyam, Suheli, Valiyakara and Tinakara have been identified for international tourists.

Delhi

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:17:00 +0000

CAPITAL – DELHI
AREA IN Sq. km – 1,483
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – HINDI, PUNJABI, URDU

Urbanization rate : 89.93%

Literacy rate : 76.09%

Per Capita State Income at Current Prices : Rs.11650 (1991-92)

Cities : Delhi

Railway Route Per ’000 Sq. Km. of Area : 84 Km.
Airport : Indira Gandhi International Airport

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/CROPS/MINERALS

Industries : Manufacture of Razor Blades, Sports Goods, Radio & T.V
Parts, Plastic & PVC Goods, Textiles, Chemicals, Ferti-
lisers, Soft Drinks,Hand & Machine Tools,Leather Goods,
Gavanising & Electroplating, Printing and Ware Housing.

Crops : Wheat, Maize, Bajra, Jowar, Vegetables & Fruit Crops.

Daman and Diu

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:15:14 +0000

CAPITAL – DAMAN
AREA IN Sq. km – 112
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – MARATHI , GUJARATI

Urbanization rate : 46.86%
Literacy rate : 73.58%
No. of District : 2
Cities : Daman

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/CROPS/MINERALS

Fishing is the main economic activity, Tourism is the upcoming industry.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:12:00 +0000

CAPITAL – SILVASSA
AREA IN Sq. km – 491
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – BHILI/BILDOLI, HINDI, GUJARATI

Urbanization rate : 8.47%
Literacy rate : 41%

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/CROPS/MINERALS

Industries : Small and Medium Scale Industries for texturising and twisting of Polyester Yarn, Art Silk Factories, Chemi- cals, Watches, Ceramics.
Crops : Paddy, Ragi, Pulses, Fruits, Wheat, Vegetables, Sugar- cane.

Chandigarh

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:07:27 +0000

CAPITAL – CHANDIGARH
AREA IN Sq. km – 114
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – HINDI, PUNJABI

INFRASTRUCTURE

Number of Bank Branches : 109
Railway Route Per ’000 Sq. Km. of Area : 110 Km.

State of Economy: The territory has 3,047 hectares of cultivable land. The irrigated area is about 2,740 ha. Wheat, maize, and paddy are the major crops. The forest covers 27 percent of the area. The length of national highway is 34.38 km (two lane). There are 15 large and medium scale industrial units in Chandigarh, out of which two are public sector undertakings. More than 2,600 units are registered under smallscale sector. Chandigarh gets 3.5 percent share of the total power generated in Bhakra Complex.

Universities: Punjab universities, Chandigarh: Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh.

Place of Tourist Attraction: Rose Garden, Rock garden, Shanti Kunj, Lake, Museum, Art Gallery, Capital Complex and National Gallery of Portraits.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/CROPS/MINERALS

Industries : Electric Metres, Cycle, Free Wheels & Rims,Antibiotics, Hosiery and Knitting Machine Needles, Wool Tops, Consumer Goods.
Crops : Wheat, Maize and Paddy.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Boomboom — Sun, 28 May 2006 21:42:00 +0000

CAPITAL – PORT BLAIR
AREA IN 1000 Sq. km – 8,249 Sq. km
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES – BENGALI, HINDI, TAMIL, MALAYALAM

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, home to a number of aboriginal tribes, lie in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 1,220 km south east of the coast of West Bengal and 1,190 km east of Madras. The main islands in the Andamans are Land Fall Island, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Port Blair and Little Andaman. Nicobar, lying to the south, comprises of Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Chowra, Teresa, Nancowrie, Katchal and Little Nicobar. The two groups of islands, Andaman and Nicobar, are separated by a deep ten degree channel. 12 of the islands, particularly Car Nicobar in the north, are inhabited, while Great Nicobar, the largest and southernmost island in the group, is virtually uninhabited. The capital of this Union Territory is Port Blair, on the Andaman Islands.

History

The existence of these islands was first reported in the 9th century by Arab merchants, who sailed past them, on their way to the straits of Sumatra. The first Western visitor was Marco Polo, who called it `the land of the head – hunters’. The islands were annexed by the Marathas in the late 17th century. In the early 18th century, the islands were the base of Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre, whose navy frequently captured British, Dutch and Portugese merchant ships. Angre remained undefeated by the combined British / Portuguese naval task force, right up to his death in 1729.

The Nicobar Islands were annexed by Britain in 1869 and were joined with the Andaman Islands to form a single administrative unit in 1872. Japanese forces occupied the islands from 1942 until the end of World War in 1945, and control of the territory was transferred to India when it gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Society and Culture

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are characterised by two distinct native cultures. One is of the Negrito population in the Andamans and other is of the Autochthones, i.e. the Mongoloid Nicobarese and Shompen. Both during pre- and post-British periods and even after Independence, these two cultures have maintained their distinct identities.

The main aboriginal group in the Andamans are the Onges, who live on Little Andaman. Onges, like other Andamanese tribes, are of Negrito origin. They practice food – gathering, hunting, honey – collecting and fishing, and are the only tribe on the islands, who freely accept contact with the outside world. In the Nicobars, the only aboriginals are the Shompens, who are averse to any contact with the outside world. The Nicobarese, the largest group, seem to be of mixed Burmese, Malay, Mon and Shan origin. They are a friendly and cheerful lot, who do not accept money and prefer the barter system. Communing with the dead is one of the many intriguing rituals practiced in Nicobar.

The special festive celebrations of particular groups include Durgapuja for the Bengalis, Panguni Uthiram for the Tamils, Pongal for the Telugus and Onam for the Malayalis. The Local Born of the Andamans, who are divided into Hindus, Muslims and Christians, celebrate the festivals of all the three religions. Some of their main festivals are Shivratri, Janmastami, Holi, Diwali, Ramanavami, Idd, Christmas, Good Friday etc. All three religious groups among the locals participate in one another’s festivals.
Thus the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, irrespective of the regions that they originally come from or the religion they practice or the language or dialect they speak have many common cultural traits. A remarkable feature of Andaman and Nicobar society is the amicable co-existence of the people belonging to the different religions. Communal violence is unheard of here. There is amicable participation of all in religious festivals and the incidence of inter-religious marriages is increasing.

Economy And Infrastructure

The Andamans have immense potential but they are not being tapped properly. The development has been insignificant but the population has increased alarmingly. Luxurious rainforests make the Andamans a ‘gold mine’ of timber. Tropical fruits are found on the hilly parts of the islands in abundance, while the fishery potential here, offers industrial possibilities. Paddy is the main cash crop here, while coconut and arecanut are the main cash crops of the Nicobar islands. Field crops namely pulses, oilseeds and vegetables and spices like pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon are also cultivated. Rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are grown on a limited scale on these islands. The major industries in the region include PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and varnishes, fibre glass, soft drinks and beverages, and steel furniture.

Port Blair is connected by Indian Airlines with Madras, Calcutta and Car Nicobar. East-West Airlines operate flights on Madras-Port Blair route on tuesday, thursday and saturday.

Regular passenger ship services viz. M.V.Harshavardhana, M.V.Akbar and M.V.Nicobar are plying between Port Blair and Madras (1190 km), Calcutta (1255 kms), Vizag (1200 kms).

Tourist Centres

Andaman and Nicobar islands are popularly known as the Emerald IslesÂ. The erstwhile ‘Kaala Paani’ or the Cellular Jail, now a museum is the most popular tourist spot.

Other places of tourist interest include National Memorial, Marine Museum, Naval Marine Museum, Smrithika Museum, Haddo Zoological Garden, Corbyn’s Cove, and other beaches, and Humphrey Gunj Memorial. Andaman Water Sports Complex at Port Blair. Chatam Saw Mill (largest in Asia), Chidiya Tapu, Marine Museum, the island of red Skibn, and Havelock are the other attractions. Corbyn’s Cove, Wandoor beach, Sippighat water sports complex, Cinque island, and Jolly Buoy island are some adventurous spots on the island.