Majestic Mahe
The majestic town Mahe nestled at the mouth of the Mayyazhi River is situated on the West Coast of the Indian Peninsula, between Badagara and Thalassery , its about 58 kilometers from Kozhikode , and 24 kilometers from Kannur in Kerela State is a busy trade centre. It still retains the lively charm of an erstwhile French Colony.
It became the first foothold of the French East India Company in 1721.There is an opinion that the town was renamed after Bertrand francois mahe La Bourdonnais, the legendary naval commander who served under Admiral de Padaillon during the recapture of Mahe in 1725 who later went on to play a vital role in the establishment of French interests in south India. It remained a French protectorate until 1954 when it became a Union Territory along with France's principal former possession, Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu.Dominated by salt-worn bastions, seventeenth century laterite forts and bustling little harbours,which punctuate the coasts at regular intervals, it is a tourist paradise a land full of attractions and immaculate sceneries to make you fall in love with it. The soothing and calm ambiance here will drive you to forget all your worries.
Tourist throng this place to catch all the eye chanting scenes and natural beauties. This small land has much to tell about it, the traditions and customs here also complements to the simplicity of the place. The place is a blend of Myth and Mystery.Mahe's colonial past is visible in the tumbledown remains of a fort, a handful of nineteenth century Gothic churches and administartive buildings and a statue of Marianne, symbol of the French republic in a park on the waterfront. But the most conspicious legacy of French rule are the distinctive military caps ( kepis) still worn by local policemen. Not forgetting the overwhelming number of liquor shops because of the lower excise duties on booze and fuel than the rest of Kerala. Do not be surprised to see the town flooded with bus loads of whiskey - swilling men on weekends. The most jovial time to visit Mahe is in the first fortnight of March when the area's temples stage exuberent theyyatam ceremonies during the annual Puthalam Festival.
