French Quarter (White Town)

The French Quarter, or White Town, is the old colonial district of Puducherry, laid out on a neat grid between the Bay of Bengal and a canal that once separated the European town from the Tamil town to the west. White Town is known for its tree-lined streets with French names, and its villas painted mustard, white and pink, with tall shuttered windows, walled courtyards and bougainvillea spilling over the gates.

France first established a trading post at Pondichéry in 1674, and apart from several periods of British and Dutch occupation, held it until 1954, seven years after the rest of India became independent. The grid plan dates from the 18th century, when the French governor Dupleix made Pondichéry the capital of French India. Many colonial buildings now house hotels, cafes and cultural institutions, and the Alliance Française and the French Consulate still operate here. Puducherry police still wear the red kepi cap of French tradition.

What to see

• Rue Romain Rolland, Rue Dumas and Rue de la Marine, with their colonial villas
• Notre Dame des Anges church, facing the sea
• Bharathi Park and the white Aayi Mandapam monument at its centre
• The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, founded in 1926
• The Tamil quarter across the canal, with its verandah houses
• Promenade Beach at the eastern edge of the quarter

What to wear

White Town is compact and best explored on foot, so wear comfortable walking shoes, light cotton and a hat for the heat. Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees are expected at the churches and the Aurobindo Ashram, where shoes are removed and silence is kept. Carry an umbrella from October to December, the northeast monsoon season. The traditional dress of Puducherry is Tamil: the saree and the white veshti for men.

Local food to try

White Town is known for its French bakeries and cafes serving croissants, baguettes, crepes and coffee, and for restaurants cooking Franco-Tamil Creole dishes, such as prawn curry with coconut and spiced fish. In the Tamil quarter, look for idli, dosa and filter coffee for breakfast and vegetarian meals on a banana leaf at lunch. Seafood is excellent, and many places serve fresh catch from the Bay of Bengal.

Good to know

• Best time: November to February, in the early morning before the heat
• Streets open at all times; the Ashram and churches keep their own daytime hours
• Free to explore
• Allow half a day on foot
• In central Puducherry, about 150 km or three and a half hours by road from Chennai
• Respect privacy at residences; many colonial houses are private homes

Nearby places

The French Quarter runs straight down to Promenade Beach on the seafront, and the international township of Auroville is about 10 km to the north. Chennai's Marina Beach lies around three and a half hours up the coast.