Pondicherry, India

Pondicherry was Pi's hometown and a place where many of Pi's happiest memories reside. Pondicherry was a small territory that became part of the young republic, India, in November 1954. The zoo that Pi's father owned was located in Pondicherry, also.

Pacific Ocean

The majority of Pi's story took place in a lifeboat floating on the Pacific Ocean. Pi marveled at the beauty of the ocean's surface and the various colors and surfaces that it displayed. Pi was also intrigued by what lay beneath the surface. He loved watching the fish, the turtles, the whales and the dolphins. In the story the Pacific Ocean represented much. It was the cemetery for his family and beloved zoo animals; it represented the hopelessness and despair that went on as far as the eye could see. The ocean also provided sustenance, food and water for him and for Richard Parker...