Yanam

Yanam [French: Yanaon] is a town in the Indian union territory of Puducherry, located in Yanam district, which forms a 30 km² enclave in the district of East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. It has a population of 32,000, most of whom speak Telugu. For 200 years it was a French colony, and, though united with India in 1954, is still sometimes known as French Yanam. It possesses a blend of French and Telugu culture prevailing in Andhra Pradesh. During French rule, the Tuesday market (mangalavaram santa) at Yanam was popular among Telugu people in the Madras Presidency who visited Yanam to buy foreign and smuggled goods during Yanam People's Festival, which is held in January. Also, after implementation of the Sarda Act in British India in 1929, Andhra people came to Yanam to conduct child marriages, which remained legal under the French administration. In 1936, Yanam's population was 5,220.

More development schemes were carried out in Yanam than in other places in India, and it was a trial-base centre for implementing development schemes in Puducherry.

Yanam (disambiguation)

Yanam is a town in Pondicherry, India.

Yanam may also refer to:

Yanaon

Yanaon or Yanam was a French colony between 1731 and 1954. Yanam has some 300 years of history and was known as French Yanam after it was transferred to the Union of India in 1954.

Early years

The main colonial history of Yanam starts with early 18th century. It is mentioned in the book, The botanic garden of Yanam (Le Jardin Botanique de Yanaon) by Médecin-colonel Alfred-Alphonse-Léon Bigot (Colonel A. Bigot), that at first, the French establishment of a warehouse here in 1723 A.D. the La Compagnie des Française Indes Orientales of France established here a trading post of theirs. Since the business became slack and commercial operations had not produced the desired results, it was given up in 1727.

Dutch colony

In the west of Yanam, there are still Neelikundilu (Indigo wells). People say that the Dutch constructed a fort here. It is being called by locals as "saali kota" because previously weavers (Saalivandru) used to weave clothes after the exit of the Dutch. They used to keep their currency, minted in the mint at Neelapalli, in this fort.