Introduction

The modem plan of Pondicherry shows a large town in gridiron plan which obviously was extended to its present form through controlled urban development. To which structure does the geometry of the local settlement correspond? Who is at the origin of this settlement layout? To whom goes the credit for the extension of this orthogonal street pattern with large rectangular building blocks and its strict enforcement to bring about this unique urban character of today’s Pondicherry? The answers gi..