# Puducherry District, Puducherry – Sub-districts & Towns

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/

District · Puducherry 

# Puducherry district

Puducherry is a district of Puducherry, the most populous of 4 districts there. At the 2011 Census it had **950,289 people** in 4 sub-districts, 6 towns and 62 villages; 69% lived in towns. The largest town is [Ozhukarai](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/ozhukarai-taluk/ozhukarai/) (300,104).

- 950,289people (2011)
- 4sub-districts
- 6towns
- 85.4%literacy

## Who lives in Puducherry?

Puducherry had **950,289 people** at the 2011 Census — 76.1% of Puducherry's population and the largest of 4 districts of Puducherry by population. There were 1,029 women for every 1,000 men (close to the Puducherry figure of 1,037; the lowest of 4 districts of Puducherry). Among children under 7 the ratio was 970 girls per 1,000 boys (the Puducherry figure is 967). An average household had 4.1 people, against 4.1 across Puducherry.

## How literate is Puducherry?

85.4% of people aged 7 and over could read and write in 2011 (close to Puducherry's 85.8%), 3rd of 4 districts of Puducherry. Men were at 91.2% and women at 79.9% — a gap of 11.4 points (it is 10.6 points across Puducherry). Among its sub-districts, literacy is highest in [Ozhukarai Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/ozhukarai-taluk/) (89.4%) and lowest in [Bahour Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/bahour-taluk/) (78.1%).

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## What do people in Puducherry do for a living?

36.6% of people worked in 2011 (women: 19.0%). Of all workers, 2% farmed their own land, 11% were farm labourers, 1% worked in household industry and 76% in other work such as services, trade and factories; 9% were marginal workers with less than six months' work. Farming employs 14% of workers here, against 14% across Puducherry. The most farm-dependent of its sub-districts is [Bahour Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/bahour-taluk/) (44% of workers in farming) and the least is [Ozhukarai Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/ozhukarai-taluk/) (2% of workers in farming).

**********

**■** Cultivators 2 (2%) · **■** Farm labourers 11 (11%) · **■** Household industry 1 (1%) · **■** Other work 76 (76%) · **■** Marginal 9 (9%)

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Cities and towns of Puducherry

69.2% of people lived in towns and cities (close to Puducherry's 68.3%), 3rd of 4 districts of Puducherry. The Census counted 6 towns: 3 statutory towns with a municipality and 3 census towns — places urban in character but still governed as villages. 2 cities have 1 lakh (100,000) people or more. The largest is [Ozhukarai](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/ozhukarai-taluk/ozhukarai/) with 300,104 people, home to 46% of the urban population.

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Villages of Puducherry

Puducherry had 62 census villages, 62 of them inhabited. The average inhabited village had 4,727 people; 24 villages had 5,000 people or more. The largest: [Mannadipet](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/villianur-taluk/mannadipet/) (11,176), [Bahour](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/bahour-taluk/bahour/) (10,927), [Kirumampakkam](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/bahour-taluk/kirumampakkam/) (10,133), [Thirubuvanai](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/villianur-taluk/thirubuvanai/) (9,374) and [Tavalakuppam](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/puducherry-taluk/tavalakuppam/) (9,212).

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Puducherry district in history

The 11th edition of the *Encyclopaedia Britannica* (1911) described Puducherry district as follows. Its wording reflects its time; spellings are as printed.

> PONDICHERRY, the capital of the French possessions in India, situated on the Coromandel or western coast, 122 m. by rail S. of Madras. The territory, which is entirely surrounded by the British district of South Arcot, has an area of 115 sq. m. with a population (1901) of 174,456. The chief crops are dry grains, rice, earth-nuts and a little indigo. The territory is traversed by a branch of the South Indian railway from Villapuram. The town has a population of 27,448. It is well laid out with fine public buildings; the water-supply is derived from artesian wells. It has an open roadstead, with a small iron pier. The port is visited yearly by 500 vessels, and has trade of the value of about some £1,300,000. The principal imports are areca-nuts, wines and liqueurs, and the chief exports groundnuts, oil, cotton fabrics and rice. Of the export trade more than one-half is with France, but of the import trade only one-fourth. The weaving of various fabrics forms the principal industry. Pondicherry was founded, in 1683 by Francois Martin, on the site of a village given him by the governor of Gingee. In 1693 the Dutch took Pondicherry, but restored it, with the fortifications greatly improved, in 1697, at the peace of Ryswick.

Source: [Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911) — public domain; transcription via Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica).

Boundaries in 1901 may differ from today's; sentences describing castes or communities are omitted.

## Population of Puducherry compared with Puducherry

■ Puducherry · ■ Puducherry

Literacy (age 7+) ****85.4%**

**85.8%

Sex ratio (F per 1,000 M) ****1029**

**1037

Child sex ratio (0–6) ****970**

**967

Working population ****36.6%**

**35.7%

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Homes and amenities in Puducherry

Of every 100 households in Puducherry in 2011, 98 had electricity, 68 a toilet at home and 74 cooked with LPG; 77 had a mobile phone, 50 a two-wheeler and 6 a car.

■ Puducherry · ■ 

Electricity for lighting ****98%**

Toilet within the home ****68%**

No toilet (open defecation) ****27%**

Tap water ****98%**

Drinking water within premises ****80%**

Cooking with LPG / PNG ****74%**

Cooking with firewood / dung / crop residue ****14%**

Use banking services ****64%**

Television ****84%**

Mobile phone ****77%**

Computer with internet ****7%**

Two-wheeler ****50%**

Car / jeep / van ****6%**

None of these assets ****5%**

Own their home ****64%**

Source: [Census of India 2011, Houselisting and Housing Census – households by amenities and assets (HH-14)](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Sub-districts of Puducherry

Sub-district People Villages Towns 

[Puducherry Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/puducherry-taluk/) 316,432 4 3 

[Ozhukarai Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/ozhukarai-taluk/) 300,104 0 1 

[Villianur Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/villianur-taluk/) 213,278 36 2 

[Bahour Taluk](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/puducherry/bahour-taluk/) 120,475 22 0 

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Cities and towns in Puducherry

- Ozhukarai · 300,104
- Puducherry · 244,377
- Villianur · 34,383
- Kurumbapet · 32,871
- Ariankuppam · 29,808
- Manavely · 15,666

## Largest villages in Puducherry

- Mannadipet · 11,176
- Bahour · 10,927
- Kirumampakkam · 10,133
- Thirubuvanai · 9,374
- Tavalakuppam · 9,212
- Madukkarai · 9,049
- Kalithirthalkuppam · 8,862
- Arugur · 8,758
- Embalam · 8,331
- Manapattu · 8,227
- Kariamanickam · 7,685
- Kuruvinatham · 7,289
- Madagadipet · 7,253
- Koodapakkam · 7,147
- Abishegapakkam · 7,124
- Thiruvandarkoil · 7,078
- Purnankuppam · 6,766
- Karikalampakkam · 6,558
- Nettapakkam · 6,331
- Seliamedu · 5,984

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Quick answers

- How many sub-districts are in Puducherry?4: Puducherry Taluk, Ozhukarai Taluk, Villianur Taluk, Bahour Taluk
- What is the population of Puducherry district?950,289 (Census 2011)
- Which is the largest town in Puducherry?Ozhukarai