A pocket in Kerala, 10.4 square kilometers in size, Mahe lies on the estuary of the River known by the same name, 16 kilometers south of Mangalore. It has a population of a little over 23,000. The French had obtained Mahe from the
ruler of Badagora in 1721. Like Karaikal, Mahe too had been twice captured by the British.
Unlike Pondicherry and Karaikal, Mahe is a hilly area, abounding in coconut trees and marked by all the beauty characteristic of the Malabar coast.
The shrine at Mahe dedicated to st. Teresa Avila is believed to be the oldest Catholic place of worship on the Malabar coast. It was built probably in AD 1736.
The people who maintain the shrine are not all Christians -it is sacred to a large number of local Hindus and Muslims also. During the annual feast of the shrine on the 14th and the 15th of October, over one lakh pilgrims flock there to witness the revelation of st. Teresa’s statue.
Yanam
Yanam, about 20 square kilometers in area, is a small town situated in the east Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, not far from Kakinada. The French had founded their settlement here in AD 1731. The population of yanam is a little over ten thousand. The Coringhee River divides the region into two parts. The town can be reached by bus on the kakinada -Rajamundry road.