JOIN USThe day is popularly known as Bastille Day. A French colony for more than 200 years, Puducherry become part of Indian Union state in 1963.
It was on this day in 1789 the Bastille Prison in France was stormed, marking the beginning of French revolution with the inspiring slogans of "liberty, equality and fraternity`.
District Collector G Ragesh Chandra, representing the Lt Governor of the Union Territory and Vice-Consul General of France in Puducherry Rene Marollier were among those who placed wreaths at the foot of the statue.
A five member delegation of Island of Reunion (France) led by Vice President of Consul General of Reunion Roland Robert and representatives for French nationals residing in Puducherry in French Assembly Ramachandran and Shankar Vazhumuny also paid tributes at the statue.
The band wing of Puducherry police played the national anthems of India and of France on the occasion.
Puducherry used to celebrate the day in the pre-merger days as "Raja Pandigai".