Karaikal, situated on one of the estuaries of the river Kaveri in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, has a temple of antiquity, that of Jatayeswaraswami. A festival is held here every year in honour of Jatayu, the eagle who tried to rescue Sita from Ravana who was carrying her away.
Mahe is a major city of Union Territory of Puducherry. This part of the Union Territory lying in Kerala has a shrine dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila, believed to be the oldest Catholic place of worship on the Malabar Coast, probably built in 1736. The local Hindus and Muslims join the Christians in maintaining this shrine.
Puducherry, world-famous as the seat of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, had a mystic heritage rooted in a remote past. Sage Agastya, who came from the north to south, is believed to have established his Ashram here. Prof Jouveau-Dubreuil, the noted French archaeologist, said that he had reasons to believe that the Ashram of Agastya was situated on the very spot where today the main buildings of Sri Aurobindo Ashram stands. Though the present name of the region comes from Puddu Cherri (New Village), it had a more ancient name, Vedapuri — suggesting that the place was known for Vedic learning. Among the oldest deities of Pondicherry is Vedapuriswara (Shiva), probably the presiding deity of the old city. Excavations at Arikamedu on the outskirts of the present city conclusively prove that there was a Roman settlement here and regular commerce was carried on between the Port of Puducherry and the Roman cities.
The French came here, following the Portuguese and the Danes, and took root here. In 1693, the Dutch bought the area from the ruler of Ginjee. For about three centuries the French lorded over Puducherry, formerly Pondicherry. The French colonial era began in 1697.Four years later, following a treaty, the French took possession of the city, with Francois Martin for its administrator. In 18th century, in the wake of wars between England and France, the English in India tried to dislodge the French from Pondicherry. The city changed hands several times. Finally, the French took it over in 1816 and continued here till its merger with the rest of India in 1954. Puducherry soon became a flourishing colony. However, when the French shifted their colonial interests to other parts of world in the 19th century, the small colony in India, Puducherry lost its importance gradually.
After the independence of India in 1947, the inhabitants of Puducherry first decided to stay with France. Only in 1954, India got it assimilated with herself. Textile and leather goods industry is the mainstay of the economy of Puducherry. The products produced hera are of high quality and thus are exported to the world market. Tourism is also important for Puducherry's development and economy. The tourist influx is constantly on rise since several years. Foreign tourists appreciate the city because of its beautiful cityscape of the French Quarter, world-class hotels and restaurants and proximity to Auroville, which is only 8 km from Pondicherry.
Pondicherry on the sea is with one of the finest beach promenades in the country. French-style buildings, parks and an atmosphere dominated by the serene Ashram and its activities, can be a pleasant surprise for a visitor — more so if he has some spiritual aspiration. The guest houses run by the Ashram are ideal. The town has some reasonably good hotels too.