If you are keen on exploring Puducherry’s heritage, here is a mobile application that will guide you through. Starting Friday, people can download the mobile application “Pondicherry Past and Present” on their Android phone and learn about the heritage sites in the boulevard area of Puducherry.
Developed by the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), the mobile application has information about 94 heritage sites in the boulevard area along with the past and present pictures of those sites.
This app not only provides information on heritage buildings, temples and churches, sites and statues, but it also presents localised maps of those sites as well.
Launching the app, Catherine Suard, Consul-General of France in Puducherry, said that it was the first time that a mobile application dedicated to the discovery of historical sites of Puducherry was being launched.
“The GPS-enabled locations will facilitate on-field navigation by users. This application was derived from a detailed and complete research by Jean Deloche who has published a bilingual CD, Pondicherry Past and Present, brought out by the French School of Asian Studies and the French Institute.”
Inputs from tourists
She said the application had been developed to be used by tourists, national and international and also local people who were proud of their heritage. This was a tool which would add value to tourism in Puducherry and help preserve its heritage smartly. It was a tool for lovers of Puducherry.
“Past is the key to future and we just can’t ignore our heritage or past and what previous people have done. You have to adapt the past to the needs of today. This app is a tool to say that past is not something that you should see in the museum. We are keen to support this project because we are part of the smart city programme,” Ms. Suard added.
Jean Deloche, Associate Researcher, IFP, said that this application had been developed from a CD made 10 years ago. “In 2004, we were asked to prepare an exhibition on old Puducherry. With the help of two young colleagues, we started collecting data from 18th Century. This CD has information on all aspects of life in Puducherry and the present mobile app has been developed from this,” he said.
Vanitha Bruno of the IFP said: “Information on the historical sites will be both in English and French. It will soon be available in Tamil and later in Hindi as well.”
Raphael Mathevet, Head, Ecology Department, IFP, welcomed the gathering. The app was launched as part of the Bonjour India programme.
