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People of Pondicherry |
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Ethnicity
Like most other southern states of India, ethnicity of the majority of people in Pondicherry is Dravidian.
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They speak Dravidian languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam and are black in color. These people are the original inhabitants of Indian subcontinent who according to some historians were pushed back to the Indian peninsula by invading Aryans a thousand years before Christ. Pondicherry city currently is a mingling point of different communities from around the world seeking the same goal and having same path to achieve that goal.
Arts and Crafts
Amongst other crafts, it is beautifully crafted dolls and toys made from terracotta, papier mache, and Plaster of Paris that make the union territory of Pondicherry almost a byword in the south. For the dolls made in Pondicherry have become famous in surrounding Tamil Nadu, for instance, as Puducheri Bommai (dolls from Pondicherry).
Once ruled by Frenchmen, Pondicherry has a surprising number of striking crafts in so small a geographical area. The oldest craft in Pondicherry is of bronze casting that dates back to the 8th century AD. Puja lamps made from five metals and known as kamatchi villakku are prized items of prayer with a large number of families in South India. Then there is handloom cloth in traditional designs, hand-woven carpets, hand-woven woolen pile carpets, hand printed textiles (both Kalamkari and batik), cane furniture, handmade paper, and hand rolled incense sticks from the Sri Aurobindo Society.
Music and Dance
Music and dances of Pondicherry are mainly extension of southern styles of classical music. Major dance forms are Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi while Carnatic style of music is the prevalent musical tradition.
Fairs and Festivals
Despite its French character, Pondicherry is quintessentially Indian. The zest for festivals here is much the same as elsewhere in the country. Mascarade or the Mask Festival is held in March-April when costumed merry-makers parade the streets-the French version of holi in North India. On Masimagam, the full moon day of Magam in February-March, idols from various neighbourhood temples are taken out for immersion in the sea. The seafront is lined with thousands of people keen to watch the spectacle. Indo-French war pageantry is presented on the eve of Bastille Day, a French commemoration.
International Yoga Festival is held at Aurobindo Ashram in the month of January every year. Other important festivals of Pondicherry are Sani Peyarchi Festival, which is organized once in every three years, and Panguni Uthiram in the month of March-April every year.
A car festival is held in May-June at Villianur Temple, dedicated to Thirukameshwara. Another car festival takes place in August every year at Chenghazunir Amman Temple at Veera Pattinam village, seven kilometers south of Pondicherry.
Attire
There is no particular attire that people of this Union Territory have embraced. As the state expands to different state, they wear attire worn in that particular region. Pondicherry, the capital, has a cosmopolitan look and European cloths are in vogue.
Cuisine
Food, particularly fresh seafood is no problem in Pondicherry. In fact, the city is full of small, modestly priced hotels and restaurants that serve French and South Indian delicacies. But it is the Ashram Cafeteria, which is the major attraction for its simple and wholesome meals at the lowest price.
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