Pondicherry: A visit to French India
Overview: One of the few places where we see the glimpses of French influence in India is Pondicherry. However, it has an even ancient past, having Chola footprints. As we started from the southern part of the UT of Pondy, we visited the ancient living temples in Bahour and Villianur. The Mulanathar temple in Bahour is believed to be an ancient Vedic centre of learning and the 9th century inscriptions on the outer walls of the temple tells the story of the village. Around 9kms north of Bahour is the Thirukameshwarar temple of Villianur, which again is a highlight of the Cholan architecture. The temple has typical of the South Indian architecture and has a beautiful pond within the premises. Coming to the hub of the city, the city was in existence right from the 3rd century, and the city was earlier named as Vedapuri, after the Vedapureeshwarar temple in the heritage town. This temple was destroyed by invadors during the 16th-18th centuries. Another temple built by the Cholas in ...