Mahé River
Encyclopedia
Mahé River is a river
in South India
. It flows through the state
of Kerala
and the coastal exclave of Mahé in Pondicherry.
in the Western Ghats
, and traverses a total length of 54 km (33.5 mi) before culminating in the Arabian Sea
at Mahé. The river passes through the villages of Naripetta, Vanimel, Iyyancode, Iringanoor, Tripangathur, Peringalam
, Edachery, Kacheri, Eramala
, Kariyad
, Olavilam, Kunnumakkara, Azhiyoor and Mahé, thus covering an area of 394 km². The northern boundary of Mahé Town
is defined by the river.
's magnum opus Mayyazhi Puzhayude Theerangalil (P. 1974 ; Malayalam
for "On the banks of the Mahé River"), celebrates this river.Mayyazhi river known as the "English channel" in India during the period of British rule, becuase it separated British-ruled Talasery from French-ruled Mahe.It is the most polluted river in God's Own Country
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It flows through the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and the coastal exclave of Mahé in Pondicherry.
Geography
The river originates in the hills of WayanadWayanad District
Wayanad District in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Kalpetta is the district headquarters as well as the only municipal town in the district. The region was known as Mayakshetra in the...
in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, and traverses a total length of 54 km (33.5 mi) before culminating in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
at Mahé. The river passes through the villages of Naripetta, Vanimel, Iyyancode, Iringanoor, Tripangathur, Peringalam
Peringalam
Peringalam is a small town in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is part of Greater Mahé Region.- Proposed New Mahe Municipality :The proposed New Mahe Municipality comprises...
, Edachery, Kacheri, Eramala
Eramala
Eramala is a village in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. The village is also home to a popular annual celebration called Orkkattri Chantha.-Demographics: India census, Eramala had a population of 32151 with 15069 males and 17082 females....
, Kariyad
Kariyad
Kariyad is a small town in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is part of Greater Mahé Region.-Proposed New Mahe Municipality:The proposed New Mahe Municipality comprises...
, Olavilam, Kunnumakkara, Azhiyoor and Mahé, thus covering an area of 394 km². The northern boundary of Mahé Town
Mahé Town
Mahé Town is the main town in Mahé district of Pondicherry, India. It is one of the famous French-Indian settlement in India. Mahe Town is situated on the Malabar Coast. The northern boundary of Mahé Town is defined by Mahe river. The southern boundary is defined by Azhiyur Village of Kozhikode...
is defined by the river.
Economy
The influence on the economy of the region traversed by the river is very little. The river has been used for inland navigation and transportation of articles from interior villages to Mahe and back,in olden days. The government of Pondicherry has planned to build a fishing harbour at the estuary of the river.However owing to technical reasons the harbour,which is under construction, is on the beach adjacent to the estuary. To enhance tourist potential of Mahe a Riverside Walkway, originating from the Water Sports Complex at Manjakkal, Mahe,on the banks of the river stretching out to the breakwater of the [Fishing Harbour]is also being built by the government of Pondicherry.Trivia
M. MukundanM. Mukundan
M. Mukundan is one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature, belonging to Mahe, part of Pondicherry Union Territory in South India. He was born on 10 September 1942 at Mayyazhi , a one-time French territory in India...
's magnum opus Mayyazhi Puzhayude Theerangalil (P. 1974 ; Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
for "On the banks of the Mahé River"), celebrates this river.Mayyazhi river known as the "English channel" in India during the period of British rule, becuase it separated British-ruled Talasery from French-ruled Mahe.It is the most polluted river in God's Own Country