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INDIA STATE FIELD GUIDE

Rockhounding in Puducherry

Quick answer

Puducherry currently has 64 sourced map records in this explorer. Puducherry has source-backed limestone, lignite and clay geology; Karaikal has garnet/magnetite/limonite and documented ilmenite-bearing heavy sands; Mahe exposes gneiss cut by quartz veins, granite and dolerite; Yanam has quartz-feldspar-muscovite river sands with trace monazite noted in official geology. All current Puducherry records are non-navigable because mineral/coastal/river occurrence does not establish recreational collecting permission.

64mapped localities
0permission required
30status not confirmed
34viewing/protected

Materials documented in Puducherry

Sand 13 Clay 9 Lignite 9 Alluvium 9 Quartz 9 Magnetite 9 Black clay 8 Sedimentary clay/sand 7 Quartz sand 7 Gravel 6 Ilmenite 5 Garnet 5 Limestone 4 Alluvial sand 4

Why Puducherry matters for rockhounding research

This state guide prioritizes sourced mineral occurrences and conservative access classification.

Government of Puducherry — District Profile / mineral resources ↗

Mapped locality guides

Puducherry Cretaceous-to-Recent Sedimentary SuccessionClay, Siltstone, Marl, LimestoneCollecting status not confirmedPuducherry Cuddalore Sandstone ContextCuddalore sandstone, Quartz-rich sandstoneCollecting status not confirmedPuducherry Eocene Limestone ContextLimestone, Calcareous sedimentCollecting status not confirmedPuducherry Cretaceous Limestone–Marl–Shale ContextLimestone, Marl, ShaleCollecting status not confirmedBahur Limestone Resource ContextLimestoneReference / viewing onlyBahur Lignite Resource ContextLigniteReference / viewing onlyWest of Bahur Lignite Resource ContextLigniteReference / viewing onlySeliyamedu Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyKaduvanur Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyKirumambakkam Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyThimmanaickenpalaiyam Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyAbhishegapakkam Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyNonankuppam Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyKuruvinattam Lignite Borehole ContextLignite, Sedimentary clay/sandReference / viewing onlyMadukkarai Black-Clay Alluvium ContextBlack clay, Alluvial sandCollecting status not confirmedBahur–Kattukkuppam Black-Clay Alluvium ContextBlack clay, Alluvial sandCollecting status not confirmedAriyankuppam–Thengathittu Black-Clay Alluvium ContextBlack clay, Alluvial sandCollecting status not confirmedAriyur–Ariyapalayam Alluvium ContextBlack clay, Sand, AlluviumCollecting status not confirmedKottapurinattam–Sorapattu–Ammanankuppam Alluvium ContextBlack clay, Sand, AlluviumCollecting status not confirmedVillianur–Ellupillaichavadi Black-Clay ContextBlack clay, Sand, AlluviumCollecting status not confirmedUruvaiyar Deep Alluvial-Clay ContextBlack clay, Sand, AlluviumCollecting status not confirmedPudukkuppam–Puducherry Coastal Quartz-Sand BeltQuartz sand, Coastal sandReference / viewing onlyKalapet Quartz–Magnetite–Epidote Coastal Sand ContextQuartz, Magnetite, Epidote, Coastal sandReference / viewing onlyNallavadu–Virampattinam Magnetite-Sand Patch ContextMagnetite, Heavy-mineral sand, Quartz sandReference / viewing onlyPudukkuppam Lateritic Sandy-Soil ContextLateritic soil, SandCollecting status not confirmedAyyankuttipalayam–Karuvadikkuppam Lateritic-Sand ContextLateritic soil, SandCollecting status not confirmedThirubhuvanai–Pallithennal Sandy-Soil ContextSand, Sandy soilCollecting status not confirmedKunichampattu–Varahanadi Charnockite Outcrop ContextCharnockite, Hypersthene, Biotite, HornblendeCollecting status not confirmedAriyankuppam Estuary Sediment ContextEstuarine sand, Silt, ClayReference / viewing onlyManapattu Barrier-Dune ContextCoastal dune sand, Quartz sandReference / viewing onlyKirumambakkam Barrier-Dune ContextCoastal dune sand, Quartz sandReference / viewing onlyNarimedu Barrier-Dune ContextCoastal dune sand, Quartz sandReference / viewing onlyPuducherry Historical China-Clay Resource ContextChina clay, Kaolinitic clayReference / viewing onlyKaraikal Tertiary-to-Quaternary Sedimentary ContextAlluvium, Sand, Clay, GravelCollecting status not confirmedKaraikal Fluvial Alluvium ContextSand, Clay, Gravel, AlluviumCollecting status not confirmedKaraikal Beds Pliocene ContextKaraikal Beds, Sedimentary sand/clayCollecting status not confirmedKaraikal Cuddalore Sandstone Subsurface ContextCuddalore sandstoneCollecting status not confirmedKaraikal Eastern Aeolian-Sand BeltAeolian sand, Coastal sandReference / viewing onlyMelvanjiyur Heavy-Mineral Sand ContextIlmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, QuartzReference / viewing onlyKilvanjiyur Heavy-Mineral Sand ContextIlmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, QuartzReference / viewing onlyAkkaraivadi Heavy-Mineral Sand ContextIlmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, QuartzReference / viewing onlyKaraikal Lighthouse Heavy-Mineral Sand ContextIlmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, QuartzReference / viewing onlyTirumalarajanpatnam Heavy-Mineral Sand ContextIlmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, QuartzReference / viewing onlyTirumalarajanar Mouth Coastal-Sand ContextHeavy-mineral sand, Quartz sand, Estuarine sedimentReference / viewing onlyArasalar Mouth Coastal-Sand ContextHeavy-mineral sand, Quartz sand, Estuarine sedimentReference / viewing onlyKaraikal Black-Clay ContextBlack clayCollecting status not confirmedKaraikal Garnet–Magnetite–Limonite Sand Resource ContextGarnet sand, Magnetite, Limonite, Heavy-mineral sandReference / viewing onlyMahe Hornblende–Biotite Gneiss ContextHornblende-biotite gneiss, Quartz, FeldsparCollecting status not confirmedMahe Quartz-Vein ContextQuartz veins, GneissCollecting status not confirmedMahe Granitic-Body ContextGranite, GneissCollecting status not confirmedMahe Dolerite-Dyke ContextDolerite, GneissCollecting status not confirmedMahe Laterite-Profile ContextLaterite, Weathered crystalline rockCollecting status not confirmedMahe Coastal Quaternary-Alluvium ContextAlluvium, Sand, ClayCollecting status not confirmedMahe Railway-Corridor Red-Sand ContextRed sand, Lateritic sedimentCollecting status not confirmedMahe Shell-Bearing Beach-Sand ContextBeach sand, Recent shellsReference / viewing onlyMahe River–Coastal Sand ContextRiver sand, Coastal sand, AlluviumReference / viewing onlyYanam Deltaic Recent-Alluvium ContextAlluvium, Sand, Clay, GravelCollecting status not confirmedYanam Sand–Clay–Gravel Alluvium ContextSand, Clay, GravelCollecting status not confirmedGauthami Godavari Quartz–Feldspar–Muscovite River-Sand ContextQuartz, Feldspar, Muscovite, River sandReference / viewing onlyYanam Black-Streak Monazite Trace ContextMonazite traces, Heavy-mineral streaks, River sandReference / viewing onlyMettakur Alluvial Borehole ContextAlluvial sand, Clay, GravelReference / viewing onlyGauthami Godavari Regulated Sand-Bar ContextRiver sand, Sand barReference / viewing onlyCoringa–Gauthami Confluence Floodplain ContextFloodplain alluvium, Sand, Silt, ClayReference / viewing onlyYanam Grey-Black Clay ContextGrey-black clay, Sandy clayCollecting status not confirmed

Access and collecting rules

Puducherry is split across four disconnected enclaves. The guide covers sedimentary limestone/lignite/clay and coastal sands in Puducherry, heavy-mineral sands and sedimentary geology in Karaikal, crystalline/laterite geology in Mahe, and deltaic river-sand/alluvium geology in Yanam. No record establishes a general public right to collect.

Government of Puducherry — Pondicherry Minor Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1977 ↗

Dataset last reviewed: September 8, 2026. Coordinates are reference points; some mineral databases warn that locality coordinates may be generalized.

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