Mahe

Mahé, a small town (9 km2) in the south of India on the Arabian Sea, has the official name of Mayyazhi in the local Malayalam language. The original name of Mahé, Mayyazhi, means "eyebrow of the sea". Mahé has an interesting church, the Saint Theresa Church.

The Kannur District of the state of Kerala surrounds the town on three sides. Mahe is the main island of the Seychelles group and has over 60 idyllic beaches. The capital city, Victoria, is the seat of the Seychelles government and has a population of about thirty thousand - which represents just under half of the entire population of the islands. Also one of the most impressive islands of the group, it has the highest mountains in the archipelago - stretching 900 meters into the blue Seychelles skies, and setting a dramatic backdrop to more than sixty white-sand beaches. In the markets one can sample a vast selection of fresh fruit and fish, or just chat to the locals - who are always happy to tell you a tale about the "whale-sized" fish that was caught last week. Mahé is also the cultural capital of Seychelles: The Natural History Museum and The Codevar Craft Centre are located there, and local artists such as Tom Bowers and Michael Adams exhibit their work informally all over the island. The Botanical Gardens, with their fantastic collection of tropical plants, are a must for every nature lover. There are about 75 plant species native to the rain forest that are found nowhere else in the world. And finally, Mahé enjoys an average temperature of 27°C all year round - the perfect climate for sailing, water-skiing, windsurfing... or just soaking up the sun.

Formerly a French colony, Mahé now forms a municipality in Mahe district of the Union Territory (the lands directly administered by the Union (federal) government of India) of Pondicherry (based on the east coast). Mahé has two members (MLAs) in the Pondicherry Legislative Assembly, representing Mahé and Pallur.