The Mahe River () natively Mayyazhipuzha () is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in
South India
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
. It flows through the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
and the coastal exclave of
Mahe in
Puducherry
Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to:
Places in India
* Puducherry (union territory), formerly known as Pondicherry
** Puducherry (city), capital of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry district
The Puducherry District, also know ...
.
The Mahe River originates in the slopes of the
Western Ghats part of the
Wayanad district
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...
. Initially, the river flows through the hilly eastern towns of the
Kozhikode district
Kozhikode (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters.
The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has a corporation l ...
like
Vilangad,
Vanimal, Jathiyeri and
Nadapuram
Nadapuram is a census town and a special grade panchayath located in Kozhikode District of Kerala, coming under Nadapuram Constituency#India, assembly constituency. It is in the North Malabar region of Kerala, India.
History
In the past, Nadapur ...
. Then, the river enters into the
Malabar plains where it flows through several towns, including
Parakkadavu
Parakkadavu (English: The ferry of rock) is a village situated along the banks of the Chalakkudi river in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Co ...
,
Kadavathur
Kadavathur is a village near Thalassery, situated in Kannur district of Kerala state, India.
Kadavu in Malayalam means the bank of a river where there is no bridge and people use country boats to cross the river. A proposed bridge in the region ...
,
Peringathur
Peringathur is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a part of the municipality of Panoor.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Census, Peringathur had a population of 40,292. Males constitute 46% of ...
,
Eramala
Eramala is a village in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India. The village is the site of a popular annual celebration called Orkkatteri Chantha.
Demographics
As of 2011, the total population of Eramala is 26,293 (12,372 being male and 13,921 bein ...
,
Kunnukara
Kunnukara is a census town and panchayat in Paravur Taluk of Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. The village is situated on the airport road connecting North Paravur ( NH66) and Nedumbassery ( NH544). North Paravur is the nearest town, 7 k ...
,
Kariyad
Kariyad is a small village in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. It is part of the Greater Mahe Region.
It is 57.31 km.2 The total population according to the 1991 census is ...
and
Peringandoor
Peringandoor is a village in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India. Talappilly, Chavakkad, Kodungallur, Mukundapuram, Thrissur etc. are the nearest towns / cities to Peringandoor village. As per Census 2011 information the village code ...
. The river then flows through the northern boundary of the Union Territory of
Mahe and empties into the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
.
Economy
There is very little influence on the economy of the region traversed by the river. The river has been used for inland navigation and transportation of articles from interior villages to Mahe and back in the past. The government of Puducherry has planned to build a fishing
harbour
A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...
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
ishing Harbour is also being built by the government of Puducherry.
Trivia
During the
British Raj
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
, the Mahe River was nicknamed the English Channel because it separated British-ruled Thalassery from French-ruled Mahe.
In popular culture
The river is mentioned in
M. Mukundan
Maniyambath Mukundan (born 10 September 1942) is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a former diplomat. He worked as a cultural attaché at the Embassy of France in Delhi from 1961 to 2004, while concurrently working as an author. Many ...
's 1974 magnum opus novel ''
Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil
''Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil'' (On the Banks of the Mayyazhi) is a Malayalam language, Malayalam-language novel by M. Mukundan. The novel vividly and mystically describes the historic political and social background of the former French col ...
'' (
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
for "On the banks of the Mahe River").
See also
*
List of rivers in Kerala
There are 44 major rivers in Kerala, all but three originating in the Western Ghats, with 41 flowing westward and three eastward. The rivers of Kerala are small, in terms of length, breadth and water discharge. The rivers flow faster, owing to ...
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Kerala
There are 81 dams in Kerala. Of the 81 dams, the Kerala State Electricity Board owns 59 dams which form 45 reservoirs, the Kerala Irrigation Department owns 20 dams which form 20 reservoirs and the Kerala Water Authority vests the control of 2 ...
*
List of rivers in India
With a land area of consisting of diverse ecosystems, India has many river systems and perennial streams. The rivers of India can be classified into four groups – Himalayan, Deccan, Coastal, and Inland drainage. The Himalayan rivers, mainl ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahe River
Rivers of Kannur district
Rivers of Puducherry
Rivers of Kozhikode district
Rivers of Wayanad district
Rivers of the Western Ghats