Puducherry facts: capital, state animal, bird, flower and state day
Puducherry at a glance
- Capital
- Puducherry
- State day
- 1 November (Puducherry Liberation Day)
- State animal
- Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum)
- State bird
- Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus)
- State flower
- Cannonball flower (Couroupita guianensis)
- State tree
- Bael (Aegle marmelos)
Sources: Capitals: Government of India. State symbols and state days: Wikipedia (lists of Indian state animals, birds, flowers and trees, and List of Indian state days), retrieved October 2026.
Key facts about Puducherry: its capital, languages, government and courts, and the main figures from the Census of India 2011, the most recent census.
Key facts
| Capital | Puducherry |
|---|---|
| Status | Former French territories, transferred to India in practice on 1 November 1954 and formally on 16 August 1962; a union territory with its own elected Legislative Assembly and Chief Minister since 1963 |
| Regions | Four districts in separate places: Puducherry and Karaikal on the Tamil Nadu coast, Mahe in Keralam and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh |
| Official languages | Tamil, Telugu (in Yanam) and Malayalam (in Mahe); English and French are also used |
| Area | 490 sq km |
| Districts (2026) | 4 |
| Legislative Assembly seats | 30 elected (and up to 3 nominated members) |
| Lok Sabha seats | 1 |
| Rajya Sabha seats | 1 |
| High Court | Madras High Court |
Census 2011
| Population | 1,247,953 (12.48 lakh) |
|---|---|
| Density | 2,547 people per sq km |
| Living in towns and cities | 68.3 per cent |
| Sex ratio | 1,037 women per 1,000 men |
| Literacy rate (age 7 and over) | 85.85 per cent (men 91.26, women 80.67) |
Sources
Population figures: Census of India 2011, Final Population Totals. Area: Census of India 2011. Seats and courts: Election Commission of India and the Government of Puducherry.
Reference links
- Government of Puducherry: official portal
- National Portal of India: Government of India
- Election Commission of India: constituencies and elections
- Local Government Directory: official list of districts, blocks and villages