French
DeutschMahe is a little beach town enclave of Pondicherry near Kannur. It is effectively a town that is Kerala, but retains some French influence as it was a colony of France.
Understand
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Mahe can easily disappoint visitors because the whole area is less than 4 km2 and an extremely crowded National Highway intersects the village. The French character of the village has almost vanished and it looks like any other plain vanilla Kerala village.
Get in
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Mahe is easily accessible from Kannur airport and by railway. Buses are available in plenty from Thalassery and Kannur.
- 1 Mahe SR (MAHE).
Get around
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Small place, walking is the best option. Autos are also available.
See
[edit | edit source]Mahe is a former French colony, so there are many French-style buildings and place names. The people of Mahe are all Indians who speak Malayalam.
- 1 Boat House, Manjakkal.
- 2 Fishing Harbour, At the end of Mahe walkway with provision for walking into the sea..
- 3 Kallappalli Mosque (Kalla Palli), New Mahe. Very photogenic steps
- 4 Koyyodan Koroth Temple, Palloor.
- 5 Mahe Lighthouse, Near the beach. 1893 French-built lighthouse. It stands atop the Moopenkunnu Hillock, located on the south side of the Mayyazhi River meeting the Arabian Sea.
- 6 Mahe Walkway. The Mahe River Side Walkway is a picturesque 2 km scenic pathway stretching along the banks of the Mahe River to the Arabian Sea. It features well-lit paths and bencheshes.
- 7 Tagore Park, Near the river. Tagore Park is a scenic and peaceful waterfront park situated right at the estuary where the Mahé River meets the Arabian Sea.It serves as a recreational hub and offers great sunset views.
- 8 St. Teresa’s Shrine, Mahé. A shrine dedicated to Saint Teresa of Ávila. Consecrated in 1736, it is recognized as one of India’s oldest shrines. The church was heavily damaged in 1760 during conflicts between British and French forces but was reconstructed in 1788. Its distinctive clock tower features a clock presented by French Marines in 1855
- Pandokooloth Temple, Pandakkal.
- Sree Krishna Temple, Choodikotta..
- Sree Kurumba Bagavathi Temple, Parakkal.
Do
[edit | edit source]- Find the French Buildings. There are a small number of government offices that occupy colonial buildings. Visitors are not entertained.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- Tax free shopping. All consumer goods and alcoholic beverages are cheaper in Mahe because it is not part of Kerala state.
- Ammayi Snack Shop, Kunhipally. Unnakkaya, Filled Bananas, Bread Pocket, Kaypola, Chattipathiri, Kumbalanga Pathil and Kilikkood.
Eat
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- Azadi Restaurant, Opp. Indian Bank ATM, Maidhan Road.
- Dhanya Hotel, Mukkali, Mahe Vadagara Road. Ethnic lunch with fried mussels.
- New Plaza Restaurant, New Mahe.
- Riverview Restaurant, New Mahe..
- Sas Restaurant, New Mahe.
- Seagull Restaurant, Near St. Teresas Church.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- . Alcohol is cheaper in Mahe than Kerala because of a different tax structure.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]- Ashwathy Guest House, Near Hospital, ☏ +91 4902334475. Good rooms ₹700.
- Hotel Arena, Near Sports Ground, ☏ +91 4902337084, hotelarena@hotmail.com. ₹500.
- Hotel French Avenue, Near Mahe Walk, ☏ +91 9895155028, +91 4902334330. Good ambience, boutique hotel, spacious ground in front. Steps on the back of the hotel lead to the beach. ₹2,000.
- Mahe Residency, Near Sports Ground, ☏ +91 490 233 6838. ₹800.
- Athithi Lodge, Near Sports Ground, ☏ +91 94950 67819.
- Hotel Jaypees, New Mahe, across the bridge. ₹700.
- Riverview Lodge, New Mahe, across the bridge. ₹600.
Go next
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