The French , who arrived in the early part of the 18th century and attempted to establish themselves in Pondicherry , formerly known as Vedapuri , Poduke and Puducherry .Initially they were thwarted by the British , and constant battles for possession marked the early years of their occupation. It is now part of a Union Territory that includes three other small formerly French colonies : Mahe (Kerala), Karaikal (Tamil Nadu ) and Yanam (Andhra Pradesh ). It is easier to travel the 115 kilometres from Madras to Pondicherry by road , rather than take the train to Villupuram , 38 kilometres west of the town , from where there is a branch line and a bus service . Although the French influence is gradually fading , Pondicherry retains a few accents . Pondicherry's main sights are the Rai Nivas , the Sacred Heart Church and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram . The ashram retreat was founded in 1926 by Sri Auro bindo after whose death the spiritual authority passed to one of his disciples , a French woman known as ' The Mother '. The ashram's many activities include the making of perfumes soap , incense and hand - made paper. The Mother was also instrumental in founding the ' City of Dawn ' , Auroville , ten kilometer from Pondicherry. It's original charter aimed at creating a city of the future where people from India and aboard could live and work together in a spiritual environment . The futuristic buildings of Auorville were designed by the French architect Roger Auger . The vast Matri Mandir serves both as a meditation hall and the spiritual center of Auroville.