Formerly a French colony, sandwiched between the Calicut and Cannanore districts in Kerala state, Mahé remained under French jurisdiction as a small French colony, an enclave within British India, during the long span that began in 1816. After the Independence of India the area continued to be French-ruled until 13 June 1954, when a long anti-colonial struggle culminated in its joining the Indian Union.
Mahé, appearing to be a part of Kerala, belongs to the Union Territory of Pondicherry.The name Mahé originated in honour of Bertrand François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699–1753), a key architect of French policy in India.
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Street in Mahé town centre |
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With no excise duty, liquor shops are abundant all over Mahé - The Pondichéry effect of course! |
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Tagore park near the beach promenade |
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Mahé River also known as Mayyazhipuzha, is a river flowing through the coastal exclave of Mahé. |
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The Mayyazhi river known as the "English channel" in India during the period of British rule, because it separated British-ruled Thalassery from French-ruled Mahé. |
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The river originates in the hills of Wayanad in the Western Ghats, and traverses a total length of 54 kilometres before culminating in the Arabian Sea at Mahé. |
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Panoramic view of the point where the Mahé river flows into the Arabian Sea. |
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Panoramic view of the promenade alongside the Arabian sea. |
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The Mahé Palli (Mahé Church) dedicated to St Theresa of Avila is a famous landmark and a pilgrimage centre for Christians. |
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 The Shrine of St. Theresa of Avila at Mahé is one of the oldest Shrines in India and probably the oldest in Malabar built in 1736. The main altar of the shrine. As I was there on the 16th of August, Notice the tricolor draped around the altar. |
