Pondicherry

Pondicherry, now officially named Puducherry, is a union territory in Southern India. It consists of a number of enclaves in three different states:

Pondicherry — a cluster of 11 enclaves in Tamil Nadu, containing the main town and capital of the territory
Auroville — a popular spiritual and religious site near Pondicherry
Thirubhuvanai — a village at the outskirts of Pondicherry, home to Chola-era temples
Karaikal — an enclave further south in Tamil Nadu
Mahe — two enclaves in Kerala
Yanam — an enclave in Andhra Pradesh

All of these enclaves were under French occupation before they were peacefully handed over to India. Each enclave shares a mixed cultural heritage, combining its South Indian roots with a French colonial past.

This article is on an extra-hierarchical region, describing a region that does not fit into the hierarchy Wikivoyage uses to organise most articles. These "extraregion" articles usually provide only basic information and links to articles in the hierarchy. This article can be expanded if the information is specific to the page; otherwise new text should generally go in the appropriate region or city article.