Statue of Dupleix in Pondicherry

The union territory of Pondicherry happens to be a former French settlement and continues to bear traces of its colonial past. The Statue of Dupleix in Pondicherry, standing tall in the union territory aptly depicts the intrinsic French connection.

The legendary Francois Dupleix had many a claim to his fame. The former Governor General of the French settlements in India was one of the greatest antagonists of Robert Clive, the mastermind behind the supposed Partition of Bengal. Dupleix was an able administrator who held office till the year 1754. Ironically, however he reached the pinnacles of success, glory and recognition long after the end of his career in 1780 when two statutes were laid in France and Pondicherry to pay a tribute to his untiring services.

The statue stands proud and tall, towering at a height of 2.88 m over half a dozen, massive and elaborately decorated pillars. Initially the statue of Dupleix in Pondicherry was sited in Place Du Republique. From there it was relocated to its present site, in a picturesque locality where it overlooks a beautiful and colorful children’s park, alive with the exuberant cries of kids at play. The park is located at the southern extremity of a long and well maintained boulevard known as Goubert Avenue.

A visit to Pondicherry takes tourists through lanes of history alive with traces of French connection and cultural legacy.