As France woos India, its ex-colony Puducherry recalls the past

An Indian policeman wearing a French Kepi hat standing guard at a beach in Puducherry. Photo: AFP

Seventy years after France quit once hard-fought for territories seized from India, the dwindling influence of Paris on the bustling streets of Puducherry is still reflected in language, architecture and cuisine.

It is more than 8,000km (5,000 miles) from Paris to Puducherry, but some women dressed in colourful saris still chat in French, policemen wear the peaked kepi hats of the gendarme, and road signs mimic the famous blue and white enamel lettering of Paris.