city, Pondicherry union territory, an enclave on the Coromandel Coast within eastern Tamil N─du state, southeastern India, near the mouth of the Arasal─r River. The chief city of the K─raik─l territory and a former French colony in India, it is in the fertile Cauvery River delta, the most important rice-growing area of Tamil N─du. The area was part of the C┃?a empire in the 10th century, and it was conquered successively by Vijayanagar, Mar─?h─, Muslim, and French troops, becoming French in the late 18th century. Since 1954 the area has been a popular seaside tourist resort of the union territory. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 61,875. |