Just got back from a nice and relaxing trip to Pondicherry , what used to be known as the French Riviera of the east. Some Facts: Pondy has been recently rechristened into Puducherry , the original Tamil name which means "new village". Puducherry town is the headquarters of the Union Territory of Puducherry which comprises Puducherry, Karaikal, Yaman and Mahe - four widely separated towns. I was surprised to find that this small little coastal town tucked away in South East corner of India has had traders from across the world starting from the Romans who came here in the 1st century A.D. as the Excavations near Arikamedu reveal. It also had other Europeans (Portuguese, Danes and Dutch) come in for trade and to setup establishments. The French first came to Pondy in 1673, and started to transform the sleeping little fisherman's village into a profitable port-town. Around 1761, the town was totally destroyed by the English and French in their power struggl...