Sunday, 7 July: Arrival in Mahe
Mahe, a small town of 40,000 on the southwest coast of India, faces the Arabian Sea. We arrived at the brand-new Kannur Airport after a four-hour flight from New Delhi. I’m traveling with Gerald Smith, a math teacher from Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Mahe was liberated from French control in July 1954. The municipal area covers about nine square kilometers (3.5 square miles) and Mahe is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Mahe was liberated from French control in July 1954. The municipal area covers about nine square kilometers (3.5 square miles) and Mahe is one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The writer M. Mukundan described the social and political history of Mahe (Mayyazhi) in Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil (On the Banks of the Mayyazhi). Mukundan uses mystical forms to describe the struggle for freedom from the French. The novel was written in the Malayalam language, the official language of Malala state. Its main characters represent the conflict between the older generation who wanted to remain loyal to France and those willing to fight for independence. The French navy brought an end to the first struggle for independence, which ultimately led to a second and more successful conflict, which saw the French leave Mahe.
Malayalam is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, spoken by 38 million people worldwide. Emigration from Kerala brought the language to many countries in the Persian Gulf states.
2:42 pm
Hello Mr. Clark,
This is Ashis. Ms. Savage show me your website and pictures. Are you learning a lot of Indian language? Do you like the food, what is your favorite? I am glad you are having good time.
2:17 am
Ashis: My Hindi still needs a lot of work but I am enjoying my visit and the South Indian food. Yesterday we enjoyed a traditional Malayalam lunch served on a banana leaf: pachadi, avail, thovan, eriseri, Koottu curry, and somber. Delicious!!!!