Pondicherry has a heritage of multi-faceted history that depicts the background of colonial rule and ancient trade. As per the legends, this place was named as Vedapuri and it is assumed as the abode of the renowned saint Agasthya. Rome has opened up trade relation with this region during the 1st century, when this region was a flourishing port town by the name Poduke.
Several dynasties of South India, Pallavas, Cholas, and Pandyas ruled the land of Pondicherry long before the colonial influence. It was in the hands of the Sultan of Bijapur after Vijayanagara Empire collapsed. It was also at this time when Portuguese and Danish traders began their operation.
The most striking episode in Pondicherry history is its interaction with the French that started in the 17 th century. They turned it into a trading post in 1674, and with time it expanded into the capital of French India. And this is true even after India gained its independence (in 1947), Pondicherry was still under French rule. Formally, it was integrated with the Indian Union in 1954.
Pondicherry has a tropical climate with a flat coastal terrain today and all this country is landlocked by the state of Tamil Nadu. It is divided into two quarters; the French and the Indian. and in 2006, it was renamed, as Puducherry (which translates as New Village, in Tamil).