INDO-FRENCH ARCHITECTURE

 Pondicherry, currently known as Puducherry, has earned the moniker Paris Of The East due to
the French influence in its culture and heritage.
 The Union Territory of India shares a deep connection with French culture since 1674, the year
when the first trading post of the French East India Company sprang up here. Pondicherry has
been influenced by the multiple colonial powers of Dutch, English, and Portuguese. But France
always had a strong presence here, and eventually, their lifestyle started to influence the lives of
the locals.
 The Parisian architectural styles can be seen in Pondicherry, making it the pinnacle of Indo-
French architecture.
 Pondicherry follows the grid system in terms of city planning and has two zones- Tamil
Quarters and French Quarters.
 Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges
ARCHITECT:LOUIS GUERRE

ARCHITECTURAL TYPE:CHAPEL

STYLE:GRECO-ROMAN

• Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, also known as Our Lady of Angles church is a classic example of French
architecture in the colonial era.

• The original structure was built in Greco Roman architecture by Napoleon III in 1855, with the architect being Louis
Guerre. It is the only church that offers mass in three languages namely French, Tamil and English.

• Serving till date, the church is painted a pearl white both on the outside and inside.

• Built in a Greco-Roman architecture style, the church has two pillars on either side of the main chapel. Once believed
to be adorned by the statue of Our Lady of Angels, the church now houses a Holy Cross.
 Raj Niwas

Raj Niwas is the Governor’s residence and is nearly 350 years old.

The stunning white mansion is the perfect blend of French and Tamil architecture and was built by the French East India Trading
Company in the year 1674.

The new House of the Governor was built on the former site of the Hotel de la Compaigne which was the origin of the present Raj
Niwas. Initially, the Governor's House was built in the French Baroque style but it was destroyed in the year 1761 by the British.
Later, the building was rebuilt in the Rococo style from 1766 onwards. The Raj Niwas was a rectangular, single storied structure
running east to west with porticoes on either side of the flanked by two other rectangular wings on the east and west. It was later
converted into a double storied House.

THE GOVERNOR’S RAJ NIWAS BEFORE

PALACE IN 1900 INDEPENDENCE
 French Villas in the French Quarters
The coastal town of Pondicherry, India amongst other things, is also famous for the Colonial
French and Franco-Tamil architecture of some its buildings.

colonial French architecture is predominantly seen in a precinct now known as White Town
and was also known as the French Quarter in much earlier times

White Town is known for it’s colonial The colours used for the structures The influence of the French
styled villas with big compound walls here are primarily sun burnt yellow, culture can also be seen in street
and stately doors peach or white. art around the town and in the
decor of most houses. Much of
the decor has a unique Franco-
Tamil influence
 Romain Rolland Library

• Holds more than 60,000 volumes on its shelves, many of which are old and rare.
• Pondicherry Museum functions as an adjunct to the library and is well worth a
visit, housing a remarkable collection of artefacts from all parts of former French
India
 SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM NOTRE DAME DES ANGES

 The remainder of the Ville Blanche can best be divided into northern and southern sectors.
 To the north lies the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and to the south, easily identified by its striking
square towers, stands Notre Dame des Anges.
 Hanging within this church which was built in 1865, is a rare oil painting of Our Lady of the
Assumption presented by Emperor Napoleon III.
 Nearby, in a little garden off Rue Dumas, is a statue of the French heroine Joan of Arc, burned
at the stake by the English in 1431.