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India has had its fair share of changing monarchs, dynasties, rulers and colonizers over thousands of years. It has become extremely interesting to observe the cultural influences and confluences that have taken place in the heritage and lifestyle of many regions in the country where glimmers of its past rulers shine through the current facade.
The French have left an interesting and relatively lesser-known cultural legacy in the country, and while we may now picture Auroville (for some reason) when we think of the French settling in India, today we explore one of the forgotten historical colony’s, Yanaon, or Yanam as it is now known.
Swaying coconut trees, the sound of the waves crashing in the distance; quiet, little lanes dotted with old, colourful houses, splendid churches, intricate temples, pristine rivers, evergreen mangrove forests and warm, friendly people who’d greet you with bonjour! This primarily makes-up the quaint town of Yanam.
Part of the union territory of Puducherry, the town is located within the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. It is bound by the River Godavari and River Coringa on the East and South respectively. The pretty little town, situated on the Coromandel coast is dotted with pristine beaches and was a Dutch colony prior to a French takeover in the 1720’s. The British and the French fought for the seaside town amongst themselves during three major wars, but Yanam remained under French control till 1954. The prominence of all these cultures can be evidently observed in the town. While there are Neelikundilu (Indigo wells) in the west of Yanam, the French architecture can be observed in the stained-glass work of the local church dating back to 1769 as well as in the Court House (Palais De Justice), established by French missionaries in 1846 with furniture supposedly imported from France.
The town is full of beautiful, intricately carved, Dravidian-style temples, the most popular one being the Meesala Venkanna Temple famous for its Swamy idol built by the kings of Rajamahendravaram in the 15th century. Another very interesting aspect about Yanam and this temple, in particular, is that when the Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed in 1929, people from nearby villages would come to the temple to perform child marriages as it was banned under the British rule, but remained legal under the French rule. Every day, some thousands of marriages were performed in this temple, and hence, Yanam was also called as Kalyanapuram.
Yanam has also been the host a variety of festivals and popular markets. The Tuesday market, known as the ‘mangalvaram santa’ gained popularity, as folks from the neighbouring Madras Presidency came to this coastal town in hundreds to buy illegal and smuggled foreign goods. The Fête de Pondichéry, a three-day annual cultural festival, the Brahmotsavan, a 10-day fest conducted for Lord Vekanna Bapu in September and the Catholic Festival are still held every year.
The local delicacy to savour here would be the cheeramenu which is made from a special kind of fish. The dish gets its name from being caught using a sari called Cheera in Telugu and continues to be exported to France.
Take a quiet walk by yourself on the banks of the River Godavari, that discharges itself into sea around 14 kilometres south of Yanam town; ride along the mangrove forests, marvel at the rich cultural confluences and the heritage, or listen to the one of many fascinating ghost stories about the French that still haunt this town – there is a lot to do here.
Perhaps the label of being a ‘quiet, clean and pristine’ town is synonymous to that of being ‘forgotten’, but while we need to start appreciating our history and cultural legacy, we also need to ensure it remains that way. Be a responsible visitor and let Yanam be the ‘beauté’ it is.
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