Local life of Pondicherry: archival, in Puducherry

From the archive record

Footage of woman folks taking walk in Pondicherry. Tourist is seen riding a bicycle and bikes enjoying a warm sunny day. A man rides a motorcycle. An old man rides on the old streets of Pondicherry. Local women strolling on the streets of Pondicherry. The union territory of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry; generally known as ‘Pondy’) was under French rule until 1954. Some people here still speak French (and English with French accents). Hotels, restaurants and ‘lifestyle’ shops sell a seductive vision of the French-subcontinental aesthetic, enhanced by Gallic creative types and Indian artists and designers. The internationally famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot just north of town, Auroville, draw large numbers of spiritually minded visitors. Thus Pondy’s vibe: less faded colonia