Preface

1Everyday words such as town, street and house designate places with which we are familiar; they refer to streets we walk along time after time, to sights imprinted on our vision and to the unique place itself where we live, which is enriched with the tangibility of the past even as it vibrates with our words and presence.

2It is through personal experience of the innumerable landscapes in the town, any of which may disappear at any moment, that they speak to us directly, casting light on the evolution of our culture.

3Places are treasure houses of meaning; house and town are as intrinsic as the mother tongue to our living memory.

4This book is neither a guide nor an inventory of monuments, nor yet an introduction to the history of Pondicherry. It is rather a tool kit to help in the process of making the town our own, and it is an invitation to you to enter into a closer relationship with the spirit of place.