A remarkable degree of French influence in Pondicherry exists to this date. Pondicherry was designed based on the French (however originally Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The entire town is divided into 2 sections, the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or 'White town') and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or 'Black Town').
Many streets still retain their French names, and French style villas are a common sight in Pondicherry. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and houses with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are identified and their architecture preserved from destruction by an organization named INTACH. The use of French language can be still seen in Pondicherry.
Pondicherry still has a large number of Tamil and a small number of non-Tamil residents with French passports. These are descendants of those who chose to remain French when the then ruling French Establishment presented the people of Pondicherry with an option to either remain French or become Indians at the time of Pondicherry's transfer to India in 1954. Apart from the monuments pertaining to the French period, there is the French Consulate in Pondicherry and several cultural organisations. Another important one is 'Le Foyer du Soldat'. It is a legion hall for soldiers who served in the different French wars
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