SOUTH INDIAN CULTURE - PUDUCHERRY
SOUTH
INDIAN CULTURE- PUDUCHERRY
A popular union territory in the southern area of India
is that of Puducherry, which lies in the southern part of the peninsula.
Previously known as Pondicherry, it was formed out of four territories, of
former French India, geographically separated by surrounding alien territories
of one or more states. These territories were Pondichéry, Karikal (Karaikal), Mahé and Yanam. It is named after the largest
district, Puducherry. After bearing the name of Pondicherry throughout history,
the territory changed its name to Puducherry in 2006.
The areas of Puducherry
district and Karaikal district are bound by the state
of Tamil Nadu, while Yanam district and Mahé
district are enclosed by the states of Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala respectively. The territory’s crowded roads
and swarming beaches are a mark of its position as third most densely
populated of the states and union territories of India.
Pondicherry, being
a French colony, the French culture rapidly mingled with the existing Indian
culture of those days. It
shows a perfect blend of the west and the east that have united to form new
traditions. Pondicherry was under the French dominance for a period of 300
years and this created a French heritage in the society of Pondicherry.
Festivals
The variegated
culture brings forth an assorted array of festivals and celebrations, some of
them being, Villianur Temple car festival, Bastille Day, Birth anniversary of
Sri Aurobindo, French Food Festival, International Yoga Festival, Masimagam
Festival and the pompously celebrated Pongal.
Cuisine
The Pondicherry
cuisine also reflects the blend of cultures and customs. French food becomes an
inseparable part of the cuisines. It combines French and Indo styles as well as
the influence of neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Baguettes and croissants with coffee constitute
the breakfast of the people in the union territory, as a result of the French
legacy. The south Indian delicacies of Masala Dosa, Sambar Vada, and Idli are
also savored and enjoyed at for breakfast. They are equally, if not more,
popular food items eaten at the time of breakfast in Pondicherry.
Other delicacies of the Indian origin
that find much favour in Pondicherry are: Coconut Curry, Tandoori Potato, Soya
Dosa, Podanlangkai, Assad, Kadugu Yerra, Curried Vegetables, Stuffed Cabbage,
Palpayasam (Sweet Milk).
Clothing
Traditional clothing of Pondicherry is more like those of
the Tamilians in Tamil Nadu. The men of Pondicherry wear pants and shirts and
women wear saris, long skirts and blouses.
Music and Dance
Music and dance of Pondicherry is the extension of
southern styles of classical music and dance. The classical music mainly
follows the southern style of Carnatic, while dance forms include Bharatnatyam
and Kuchipudi.
FAADILA AISHA
1 BSC PSYCHOLOGY
I got to know about the cultures of the popular union territory Puducherry from this blog. I came to know about their Indo- French culture.
ReplyDeleteVarshaa.R
As we know puducherry has a blend of french culture in it and this blog also depicts that in a wonderful way.
ReplyDeleteG.Abirami
Informative. - Archita. T. Menon
ReplyDeleteHamsika
ReplyDeleteThis blog comprises all the important traditions followed by the people. It shows how even union territories have their own culture.
Puducherry has a mix of two cultures and the blog was very informative about the same.
ReplyDeleteFaaiqa Aisha