Why visit Mahē
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 6 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mahé Lighthouse and Mahe lighthouse.
Weather in Mahē
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Mahē
Mahé (English: /mɑːˈheɪ, ˈmɑːhiː/, French: [mɑˈe]), also known as Mayyazhi (Malayalam: [mɐjːɐɻi]), is a municipality and small town in the Mahe district of the Puducherry Union Territory. It is situated at the mouth of the Mahe River and is surrounded by the State of Kerala. The district of Kannur surrounds Mahe on three sides and Kozhikode district on one side.
From the Wikipedia article Mahé, India (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Mahē on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes14
2 more on the map.
History
Before the arrival of European trading companies to the Indian subcontinent, this area was part of Kolathu Nadu which comprised Tulu Nadu, Chirakkal and Kadathanadu. The French East India Company constructed a fort on the site of Mahe in 1724, in accordance with an accord concluded between André Mollandin and Raja Vazhunnavar of Vatakara three years earlier. In 1741, Mahe de La Bourdonnais retook the town after a short period of occupation by the Marathas.
In 1761, the British captured Mahe and the settlement was handed over to the Rajah of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahe to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahe. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahe was handed over to the French in 1785.
On the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, a British force under James Hartley captured Mahe. In 1816, the British restored Mahe to the French as a part of the 1814 Treaty of Paris, after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. Mayyazhi 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.
From the History section of Mahé, India on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship21
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries41
Anjampeedika Mappila Lower Primary School
School · 2.1 km
Kannur-Calicut-Valanchery Highway, Azhiyur
Govt.Higher Secondary School Azhiyur
School · 2.1 km
Kannur-Calicut-Highway, Azhiyur
Healthcare12
Map of Mahē
116 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kannur International Airport (CNN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 km away.
- Tellicherry 7 km northwest, about 7 min by car
- Panoor 8 km northeast, about 8 min by car
- Nādāpuram 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- Muluppilagadu 14 km northwest, about 14 min by car
- Mattanur 26 km north, about 26 min by car
- Irikkūr 32 km north, about 32 min by car
- Pāppinisshēri 35 km northwest, about 35 min by car
- Taliparamba 42 km northwest, about 42 min by car
- Kozhikode 57 km southeast, about 57 min by car
- Mavoor 64 km southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mahe Boat House, Bergundies, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MAHE LIGHT HOUSE, Prabhupuducherry, CC0
- Partial view of building, Indira Gandhi Polytechnic College, Mahe, Sachinmtk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mahe walkway-01, Prabhupuducherry, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.