Crux of Jean Deloche’s invaluable work on five French settlements on display Updated: Updated: French historian projected Pondicherry as crown jewel of the Coromandel coast Share Article French historian projected Pondicherry as crown jewel of the Coromandel coast In his writings, French historian-researcher Jean Deloche has projected erstwhile Pondicherry as the crown jewel of the Coromandel coast, “a small Versailles” which evoked the admiration of visitors. It was Deloche’s lifelong mission to delve into, and memorialise the shared Franco-Indian heritage of the settlement that were built by French merchants and local people, traders, fishermen and boatmen. A crux of his invaluable work on the five French settlements — Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Mahe, Karaikal and Yanam — has been showcased at an ongoing exhibition at the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP).