It was magnificent and elegant 19th century municipality building situated close to the sea near Beach Road in Pondicherry.
Other municipalities of French India, i.e. Karikal, Mahé and Yanaon also have their respective Mairie halls at their place.
Re-organized into 17 new communes by decree of 25 December 1907 (w.e.f 21 February 1908) Re-elections held based on Indo-French agreement dated June 1948 The list of mayors of Pondicherry until 1932 is given below[1] Elections held on 24 October 1948 and 18 October 1954 are most crucial in the history of French India.
On 15 December the new Municipal Council passed a resolution in favour of such a merger and requested both the French and Indian Governments to effect the change of administration "in a smooth and amicable manner before March 31, 1949".
India and France, following talks, issued a joint statement on 13 October 1954 announcing a procedure for deciding the status of the French settlements.
Five days later, on 18 October a joint communiqué was issued stating that "all elected members of the Representative Assembly and municipal councils will meet on 18 October at Pondicherry to consider the joint proposals of the two Governments for a final settlement of the future of the establishments and to record their decision on these proposals as an expression of the wishes of the people".
Kizhur, a tiny hamlet was finally chosen in order to avoid the disturbances, which the presence of messrs. Goubert and Mouthoupoulle might have provoked if the congress had been held at Pondicherry.
After considering the draft agreement put before them by the French and Indian Governments the Congress voted in secret ballot.