Mangalore

Overview:

Mangalore is nestled between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is named after Mangaladevi, the local Hindu goddess. The coastal city boasts of distinctive coconut palms with verdant rolling hills in the backdrop graced with streams flowing to meet the sea. It is a picturesque land with tilted-roof buildings, ancient temples, sandy beaches and a prominent lighthouse. Mangalore, the commercial hub of Karnataka, is a major port city from where spices and coffee are exported to different parts of the world. Nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, it had once been an important shipbuilding centre. But despite the urbanization, the city has a pastoral touch to it. It is a quite hamlet famous for its sandy beaches, coconut palms, imposing churches, tilted-roof buildings and ancient temples. The verdant hills graced with gurgling streams create a magnificent backdrop for the city. Owing to its strategic position, it had been under the control of many dynasties and colonial rules in the past. It derives its name from the presiding deity Mangaladevi. Sages like Vishwamitra, Vashistha, Vyasa and Kanva are believed to have meditated here in the Sahyadri hills. Today, Mangalore is famous as the ‘Cradle of Education’ in Karnataka. Since the 1980s, a large number of professional institutions have been established. A variety of fields such as business management, dentistry, engineering, homoeopathic medicine, hotel management and medicine are covered by these institutions. Dating back to 1838, the Basel Evangelical School and Milagres School are the earliest schools to be established in Mangalore. India's first private medical college, the Kasturba Medical College was established in 1953. National Institute of Technology (Karnataka), A. J. Institute of Medical Science, Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College, Father Muller Medical College, Yenepoya Medical College are amongst the popular educational institutions of Mangalore. The easiest way to reach the coastal city is to rent a Bangalore taxi or car to commute to Mangalore. The distance between the two cities is around 355 kilometers, and the trip from Bangalore to Mangalore by car takes about 7-8 hours. Visitors prefer to hire cabs or taxis in Bangalore for visiting various places of interest in Mangalore. These Bangalore taxi services allow visitors to travel comfortably while enjoying the scenic beauty on the way. Mangalore has a tropical monsoon climate and the pleasant months from December to February are considered as the best time to visit Mangalore.

Places of interest:

One of the major tourist attractions in the city is Sultan Battery. The watchtower is said to have been built by Tipu Sultan to keep a lookout for the entry of combat ships into the river Gurpur. Marvellously constructed, it looks like a miniature fortress because of its numerous apertures for mounting cannons. The tower is now in ruins due to lack of maintenance. The Kadri Hill Park, the largest garden in the city, is known for a well-maintained wildlife conservatory. It is a haven for animals like spotted deer, jackals, monkeys, sambar, anteaters, leopards, crocodiles and various other kinds of reptiles and birds.

Other places of tourist interest in Mangalore include Bejai Museum, Light House Hill Garden, and Mangalore Beach. The city also has a few religious places like KudroliGokarnath Temple, Milgraes Church. St. Aloysius College Chapel and Sri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple that people must visit while in Mangalore. Since the city has a lot to explore, tourists can retain their cab from Bangalore to Mangalore for the duration of their stay, so they have a cab of their own to go sightseeing.

The sea-town of Ullal is located on the Arabian Sea coast. Ullal was once the capital of the kingdom of Tulu. Located approximately 14 kilometers from Mangalore, it is one of the oldest towns in India. During the 15^th century, the Portuguese captured and ruled over Ullal. The remains of its glorious history are still conspicuously visible at its beaches and other parts. Historic locations such as the Someshwara Temple, Seyyad Madani Dargah, Summer Sands Beach Resort, Queen Abbakka's Fort at Ranipura and Queen Abbakka's Basadi at Melangadi, render Ullal as a famous tourist destination.

Other places of interest in Mangalore include the Sultan Battery which was built by Tipu Sultan to be used as a watchtower to lookout for the entry of warships into the Gupur River. The beautiful park and conservatory of Kadri Hill Park, It is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora. Built by Bishop Thomas de Castro in 1680 the Church of Our Lady of Miracles is an imposing structure. Situated in the heart of the city, the Shri Sharavu Maha Ganapathi Temple is the hub of cultural activities such as dramas, plays and dance performances.

Things to do:

The Western Ghats of the Mangalore region with its dense jungles, offer an ideal location for the adventurous crowd. Mantra Surf Club is India's first surf club and it is located at Mulki around 24 kilometers away from Mangalore. The club is near "Hare Krishna Ashram".

About 12 kilometers from the city of Magalore is Pilikula Nisarga Dhama. The place is widely popular due to "Manasa" water theme park. Apart from being a water theme park Manasa is also an animal park, which offers boating, and houses an arboretum, a golf course, a science centre etc., all in one place.

There are many clean and pristine beaches at Mangalore, which are ideal for swimming.

The unique festival of Kambla is held every year in December at Mangalore. The festivals chief activity is buffalo racing. The sleek and shining buffaloes are brought when the paddy fields are full of water. Mud and water spray all over as the buffaloes charge off towards the finish line. The festival is sure to surprise people from the city who have witnessed with bemusement the idyllic manner and time taken for these huge creatures to amble out of the way of a vehicle.

The local Mangalorean cuisine is comprised of typical Udipi dishes along with non-vegetarian curries and spicy coconut based seafood. There are numerous restaurants and eateries which serve a wide variety of food, ranging from the local traditional savories to international cuisines. Amantrana Restaurant, Kadal, Naivedyam and Pallkhi are some of the cosmopolitan restaurants of Mangalore. Food is usually prepared with lots of spices and is generally hot and chilly. Eateries at KS Rao Road serve tasty and cheap food.

The hi-tech public library called the Bibliophile's Paradise is maintained by the Corporation Bank. It is located at Mannagudda in Mangalore and is a must visit especially for avid book lovers.

The religiously inclined visitors can explore and offer their devotions at all or any of the myriad of temples and churches that are sprinkled throughout the region. Someshwar Somanath temple, located in Ssomeshwar is at a distance of 14 kilometers from Mangalore.