Pondicherry (/ˌpɒndɪˈtʃɛri/), now known as Puducherry (/ˌpʊdʊˈtʃɛri/; French: Pondichéry [pɔ̃diʃeʁi]), is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of India and is surrounded by Bay of Bengal to the east and the state of Tamil Nadu, with which it shares most of its culture, heritage, and language.
