The streets are usually characterized by continuous wall to wall construction, full or partial street frontage, high garden walls, elaborate gateways, and solid walls divided into smaller panels by the use of verticals (pilaster) and horizontals (cornices). These street facades are usually plain and austere, enhancing the effect of the straight and perpendicular grid plan of the town. The exterior wall panels feature flat or segmental arched windows with bands and louvred wooden shutters. In the case of two storied buildings wooden balconies supported on wrought iron brackets and common. The composition is completed by a continuous parapet usually decorated with loopholes or terracotta pot baluster, or curved. In the case of important building decorative features and end ornaments are commonly used.
Streetscapes of the Tamil Town
It is interesting to note the distinct variation in the characteristics of French and Tamil street. French streets are characterized by mansion type villas with high compound walls, elaborate gates, garden courts, arched patios, colonnaded galleries, voluminous rooms, high arched opening, wooden balconies and flat terraced roofs.
Tamil streets are mainly characterized by the thalvaram (Street verandah with platform and lean-to-roof over wooden posts) – a social extension of the house – and a thinnai (semi-public verandah space with masonry benches for visitors). These talking streets, so called because of their intimate scale and interactive nature, are typical of the vernacular Tamil architecture (also to be found in Kumbakonam, Tanjore, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Mylapore), and the entire street stretch is homogenous because of the use of connecting elements like lean-to-roofs, cornices (horizontals), pilasters or engaged columns (verticals) and ornamental parapets. These Tamil building usually feature a combination of flat and pitched roofs.
Ananda Ranga Pillai Street, Pondicherry
Bharati Street, Pondicherry
Lal Bahadur Shastri Street, Pondicherry
Kalatheeswaran Koil Street, Pondicherry
Calve Suppraya Chetty Street, Pondicherry
Rue Cazy, Pondicherry
Rue de la marine, Pondicherry
Rue du BaZar Saint Laurent, Pondicherry
Rue Dumas, Pondicherry
Rue Dupuy, Pondicherry
Rue Francois Martin, Pondicherry
Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry
Rue Dupleix, Pondicherry
Rue Lally Tollendal, Pondicherry
Rue Mahatma Gandhi, Pondicherry
Rue Mahé de Labourdonnais, Pondicherry
Rue de la Cathédrale, Pondicherry
Rue Nidarajapayer, Pondicherry
Quai d'ambour, Pondicherry
Rue Romain Rolland, Pondicherry
Rue Saint Gilles, Pondicherry
Rue Saint Louis, Pondicherry
Rue Savari Rayalou, Pondicherry
Rue Suffren, Pondicherry
Rue Surcouf, Pondicherry
Rue Victor Simonel, Pondicherry
Rue Law de Lauriston, Pondicherry
EXPLANATION
Note: The purpose of this website is to educate and create awareness among the people about the architecture & culture of Pondicherry. Vijay AROQUIARADJOU has captured the heritage of Pondicherry through its lens and dedicates this visual treat to the entire world.
We take this opportunity to thank all the house owners & business people of Pondicherry for their Co-operation.
We take this opportunity to thank all the house owners & business people of Pondicherry for their Co-operation.
COURTESY THANKS TO:
IFP Pondicherry, EFEO Pondicherry, INTACH Pondicherry, Lycee Francaise Pondicherry, Alliance Francaise Pondicherry,
TOURISME deparment Pondicherry.
TOURISME deparment Pondicherry.
