Mahe (Mayyazhi), the erstwhile French colony is a tiny pocket in the west coast of India, situated geographically in Kerala and politically in the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

A land that satiates an intelligent tourist, Indian, as well as foreign. For, this small land, its every nook and corner, has got its own wonderful story to tell, which keeps your eyes wild with awe and excitement.

Mahe district, formerly a French colony, now one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Pondicherry (The lands directly administered by the Union (federal) government of India) in India. It is a small town (9 km²) in the south of India on the Arabian Sea. Mahe has the official name of Mayyazhi in the local Malayalam language. The original name of Mahé, Mayyazhi, means "eyebrow of the sea.

Mahe is a tiny point in the Geographical map of Kerela, the million earner for the distant Pondicherry (Puducherry ) Government, 647 kms away from Pondicherry. This petit French Town is situated on the West Coast of the Indian Peninsula between 11 Degrees 42' and 11 Degrees 43' Northern Latitude, and between 75 Degrees 31' and 75 Degrees 33' Eastern Longitude, just between Badagara and Thalassery, 58 kilometers from Kozhikode, 24 kilometers from Kannur in Kerela State and is a busy trade centre.

Mahe has a history of two and a half centuries commencing from the visit of the French. MOLLANDIN, the representative of the French East India company, landed in Mahe, on 2nd April 1721. MOLLANDIN and the VAZHUNNAVAR (Ruler) of Badagara, entered into an agreement; according to which the French were permitted to establish a trading center in Mahe. The relations between the French and the VAZHUNNAVAR became strained and in 1725 fighting broke out. The French were obliged to retire to Calicut. In December 1725 DE PARDAILLAN, recaptured Mahe. The skill and enterprise of MAHE DE LA BOURDONNAIS, a French naval captain, was mainly the cause of this victory. So this place was named MAHE (MAYE is the pronunciation in French ) after the captain. Further, the local name ‘MAYYAZHI’ had a close similarity to this name. Mahe was used as a base for attack by Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan.

The periodical hostilities between the English and the French had its impact on Mahe; which changed hands a number of times. In conformity with the treaty between the French and the English in 1773, the French got Pondicherry, Karaikal, Chandernagre, Mahe and Yanam, which constituted French India. In 1791 came into existence a colonial Assembly of 21 members at Pondicherry of whom one was from Mahe. All the French settlements were over-run by the British and kept under occupation from 1793 to 1816. Mahe was restored to the French on 22nd February 1817. According to the treaty no French settlement in India was to be fortified and no settlement was to maintain troops more than necessary for law and order. The treaty also recognized the paramount of the Government of India over all parts of French India.

Mayyazhi remained under French jurisdiction until 15th June 1954, when a long independence struggle culminated in its joining the Indian Union. The French left Mahe on the 16th of July 1954. the de facto transfer of the four settlements of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam took place on 01.11.1954. The de Jure transfer of power took place on the 16th of August 1962 . After merger there has been a phenomenal growth in all spheres.

In the Pondicherry Legislative Assembly Mahe is represented by two MLA’s, one for Mahe and the other for Palloor. Mahe consists of Mahe town and Naluthara, which includes four villages: Pandakkal, Pallur, Chalakara and Chembra. The ruler of Mysur from the 1760s, Hyderali (ca 1722–1782), gifted Naluthara to the French as a token of appreciation for the help they gave in opposing the English.

The name Mahé originated in honour of Bertrand François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699–1753), a key architect of French policy in India. One hypothesis suggests that the form of the word originated from Mayyazhi, which evolved to sound like Mayye, and which the French adopted as "Mahé".

This was built by the French in 1855. It is a vantage point to enjoy the natural beauty of the Arabian Sea, Mahe River (Mayyazhi Puzha) and the sunset This building is now occupied as the office of the R.E.O. (Regional Executive Officer).

The park is situated near the Government House. The statue of Mariame is a prominent landmark among the few other statues in the Park. Statue of ‘Mariame’ which is an imaginary character, established in 1789 representing France to mark the 100th Anniversary of the French Revolution

There is a Govt. boat house at Manjakal where visitors can hire boats and cruise through the Mahe river and this operation is in a very small way.

St. Theresa’s Church is a major tourist attraction in Mahe. The Church was built during French Reign and it stands as a monument to the legacy of French rule.

Once, as the legend goes, a ship was sailing through the Arabian Sea in Malabar. When it reached the horizon of Mahe, the ship got stuck up. The Caption of the ship after a prolonged effort to move it, found, to his surprise, a statue of St. Theresa which he brought to the shore where he constructed a place for erecting this statue. It is only after this, that the ship could sail again.

The church is very famous in the entire Malabar region. The Festival is celebrated here from 5th to 22nd October each year that attracts thousands of participants from the whole state and also from nearby states. . It is a festival of Mahe irrespective of religion or caste.

Theyyattam or Thirayattam is the most famous ritual art of North Kerala, which is a combination of art craft, choreography, painting, dancing, acting and singing.

Puthalam is famous for its ancient temple and Kuttichathan, the God, another incarnation of Vishnu.

The Puthalam festival takes place in the 1st fortnight of every March. It is during this period of festival that the Theyyattam gets enacted. Puthalam draws a number of tourists for its ancient temples.