Mahe, located in South India is a Malayalam speaking region in the Pondichery union territory, under the rule of the Indian central government.
Mahe was under French rule until 1956 (For 233 years), after which following an agreement between the Indian and the French goverments, it was added to the Indian Union. Mahe is a place of historical imprtance and a spot of attraction to the tourists who visit South India.
Mahe, located inside the state of Kerala, has around 35000 inhabitants and it spans over an area of 9 sq.kms. Maheyans breath Malayalam as their Mother tongue and they keep a different culture and manners, a reminiscent of the French rule in Mahe.You can find a large number of people in Mahe, who can speak French without any grammatical mistake.
Before the French invasion, Mahe was known as 'Mayyazhi' which means Black River mouth.
The 'Mahe River flows in the north of Mahe, and Mahe is located near its juncture with the sea.
The name 'Mahe' was given by the French commodore pardaillan in memory of the French naval captain, Mahe De Labourdonnais who played an instrumental role in recapturing Mahe from the local rulers, in 1725.
After 1947, when India achieved freedom from the British, disturbances started to break out in a large scale in Mahe. The French were unable to resist the freedom struggle and the Rule of Mahe was transfered to the government of India on 16th August 1962.
Mahe, being a place which inherits a great culture has been a source of inspiration for a number of literary works in Malayalam, the most famous of them being 'Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil' and 'Daivathinte Vikruthikal', written by the popular Malayalam novelist M.Mukundan.