A romantic couple in the Botanical Gardens, Pondicherry, India. The Gardens, were laid out by the French in 1826 with pruned trees, flower beds and gravel lined paths and fountains.Pondicherry (now Puducherry) is a Union Territory of India and was a French territory until 1954 (legally on 16 August 1962). The French Quarter of the town retains a strong French influence in terms of architecture and culture.