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About Mangalore

Mangalore lies at a distance of 350 kilometers from Bangalore which is the capital of Karnataka and it is the main port city of the state of Karnataka. Mangalore also serves as the administrative headquarters of the south-west district of Karnataka called Dakshina Kannada and is bound by the mountain ranges of Western Ghat and the Arabian Sea on all sides. The city has got its name from Mangaladevi, the Hindu Goddess. Mangalore serves as the most important port of India and many a times it is also used as a point of staging for traffic of the sea near the Malabar Coast. Mangalore enjoys a tropical type of climate and it is mainly because of the South West Monsoon received by the city on the way to the Arabian Sea. Cashew and more than 75% coffee exports are handled by the port in Mangalore city. Tourism in Mangalore is also flourishing in the recent times that many holiday tourists and vacation lovers love this place for its lush green parks, pristine lakes, warm beaches and much more.

Mangalore View
Lush green park in Mangalore located along the seaside

Mangalore has also been ruled by many rulers have several dynasties such as the Vijayanagara dynasty, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Portuguese, Hoysalas and Kadambas. The city also served as contention source between the rulers of Mysore and the British. The city was annexed by the Britishers in 1799 and it continued to be an important part of Madras Presidency until India’s independence in 1947. In the year 1956, the city of Mangalore was unified with Mysore which is called Karnataka at present. The city is said to be demographically diverse because there are a lot of languages that are spoken in Mangalore. Tiled roof and red clay buildings, coconut palms, rolling hills and freshwater streams characterize the landscape of the city.

History of Mangalore

Mangalore possesses a very rich and glorious historical past. The city owes its name to the Hindu Goddess Mangaladevi. It is the strategic location of the city on the coast line that ensures the pr-eminence of Mangalore as a very important port for trading since antiquity. Historical accounts of Pliny and Ptolemy have certain references to the city of Mangalore. According to the history of this city, it has been proved that Mangalore was ruled by the Alpa Dynasty until the 14th century and it was during the reign of the Alpa rulers that Mangalore was established as the capital city.

Subsequently, other dynasties like the Western Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and Alupas possessed their sway over the city of Mangalore. In 1520, Mangalore was captured by the Portuguese and in 1695; the city was captured by the Arabs. However, in 1763, the city was conquered by the King of Mysore, Hyder Ali and thereafter his son Tipu Sultan ruled over Mangalore. Many a times, the Britishers tried to conquer Mangalore but they were defeated. However, Tipu Sultan’s defeat at Srirangapatnam paved the way for the rule of the Britishers in Mangalore. In the year 1956, Mangalore was included in the state of Karnataka.

Festivals Celebrated in Mangalore

Some of the most popular festivals of India are celebrated in Mangalore and the most significant among the festivals are Diwali, Easter, Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Eid and Dasara. Car Festival in Mangalore called Mangaluru Rathotsava or Kodial Theru is a very unique festival celebrated by the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Community in Mangalore and it takes place at Sri Venkatramana Temple. Mother Mary’s Feast called Monte Fest is a festival celebrated by the Catholics community of Mangalore and it is festival that is celebrated as Nativity Feast marking the blessing that is received in the form of new harvests.

Festivals of India
Deity of Ganesha decorated for Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations in Mangalore

Jain Milan is a committee of Jain families in Mangalore and this committee celebrates Jain Food Festival yearly and even Krishna Janmashtami called Mosaru Kudike in Mangalore is a festival that is celebrated by the entire community in a very grand manner. Aati is another festival that is celebrated in Mangalore and during this festival people worship Kalanja, the patron spirit of Mangalore. This festival is celebrated during the month called Aashaadh of the Hindu calendar. The people of the city also celebrate festivals like Kudlostava and Karavali Utsav during which there are state level and national level performances in drama, music and dance rendered for the enjoyment of the people.

Tuluva community of Mangalore performs Bhuta Kola or spirit worship during night. Snake worship or Nagaradhane is another festival celebrated in Mangalore and during this festival people praise Naga Devatha or serpent snake because he is believed to be the protector of the whole number of snakes found on earth. in the rural areas of Mangalore, temples are called ‘daivasthanams’ and there is an old ritual associated with these temples. a spiritual and religious cockfight called Kori Kotta is organised in these temples.

Places of Devotion in Mangalore

There are a lot of churches, temples and mosques in Mangalore that speak about the cultural diversity of the city. These temples, mosques and churches are worth paying a visit because of their beauty and also because of the structure that they possess. Some of the most famous and worth visiting places of devotion in Mangalore have been discussed below:

Mangaladevi Temple

Mangaladevi Temple is the main temple of the city and the entire city is called Mangalore because of the existence of this temple in the city. The temple lies at a distance of 3 kilometers from the main bus stand of the city. This temple was constructed in memory of Princess of Kerala by the efforts of the Ballal kin of Attavar.

Carstreet Venkatramana Temple

It is strongly believed that the Carstreet Venkatramana Temple was founded in the 17th century. Sri Mahla Pai who belonged to a noble family of the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Community of the Kaushika lineage is said to have erected the bronze idols of Lord Sri Gopalakrishna and Lord Sri Veera Vittala. The main deity of the temple is Lord Sri Veera Venkatesh and the idol of the main deity is found in the main center of the temple along with idols of several other deities like Goddess Bhoodevi, Goddess Sri Devi, Sri Gopalakrishna and Garuda Vahana.

St. Aloysius Chapel

St. Aloysius Chapel lies at a distance of 1 kilometer from the main bus stand of Mangalore that is called Nehru Bus stand. The paintings of a very popular artist from Italy known as Antony Moshaini are fund to cover the wall of this chapel. This chapel was constructed in 1899-1900 and is considered to be an architectural treasure and lies in close comparison with the Sistine Chapel that is located in Rome.

Kudroli Gokarnanatha

The Gokarnatheshwara Temple is located at Kudroli and it is the only temple in Mangalore that has been constructed by the great social reformer, saint and philosopher belonging to Kerala namely Sri Narayana Guru. The temple is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from Hampankatta, the main area of the city. The original structure of the temple was built in the style of Kerala but the structure was later replaced in Chola style during the renovation that took place in the year 1991. Lord Sri Gokarnatha, a form of Lord Shiva is the main deity of the temple and the Navratri Utsav is the most famous festival that is celebrated in this temple.

Festival in Mangalore Temple
Devotees throng the temple in Mangalore during an occasion


Kadri Manjunatheswara

Kadri is a place in Mangalore that possesses great historical significance and is found to be sited at a distance of 4 kilometers from Nehru Bus stand which is the main bust stand of the city of Mangalore. The temple dates back to 1068 A.D. and it is a square temple that consists of nine tanks nestled in the foothills of the highest hill in Mangalore. Lord Manjunathaswamy is the main deity at this temple which is the considered to be the oldest among all the temples located in South India. there are even stone caves found on the hilltop known as Pandava caves and seven blessed ponds called Jogi Mutt located near the temple and they form places of pilgrimage for the people who visit Mangalore.

Kateel Durgaparameshwari

This is a temple of Goddess Durga located at distance of 30 kilometers from Kateel, a place in Mangalore. The entire place called Kateel is found covered with paddy fields and surrounded by supercilious hills and it makes for a splendid view. Yakshangana Dashavatara Mela is the main fair that is organised at this temple and it is a temple of great pilgrimage for the people who visit Mangalore in thousands every year.

Milagres Church

Milagres Church is believed to be the most beautiful church for offering prayers in Mangalore. The entire church is found to be entrenched in architectural beauty. The church possesses a very unique and super altar consisting of the French paintings of St.Augustine and St.Monica. The Theatine Priest of Salesette, Bishop Thomas de Castro, built the Milagres Church in 1680. Therefore the church is as old as 320 years and is found to be located in Hampankatta.

Ullal Durgah

Ullal Durgah is also a very famous Muslim pilgrimage spot located at a distance of 12 kilometers from Mangalore. This Durgah stands in remembrance of the popular Muslim Saint named Syed Muhamed Shareef Madani Melangadi.

Roasario Church, Bolar

Roasario Church in Bolar is the church of the Holy Rosary and is considered to be an old church of Mangalore. the first Parish of this church was a German who introduced the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation in the Church in 1888.

Things to Do in Mangalore

Apart from devotion and worship, there are many other things that can be done in Mangalore and they have been enumerated below along with the names of the places that can be used for carrying out such activities.

Adventure Spots in Mangalore

For the adventure enthusiasts, the best and the most perfect location to enjoy dense jungles in Mangalore are the Western Ghats. Some of the best spots are;

Pilikula Nisarga Dhama

This place is located at a distance of 12 kilometers from the main city and it is generally an important tourist spot comprising of a water theme park called Manasa along with other recreational facilities like boating, golf course, science center, arboretum and animal park.

About Mangalore
Swimming at beautiful images of Mangalore can be real fun

Swimming in Mangalore

For people and visitors, who love swimming, there are a lot of beautiful and clean beaches found in Manalore and some of them have been detailed below:

Someshwar Beach

This beach is located in Ullal and it lies at distance of 11 kilometers towards the southern side of the city. The beach is actually found near the convergence of the Arabian Sea and the Netravati River. The face of the beach is rocky and it is considered to be very dangerous for the purpose of swimming. However, the Someshwar Beach serves a great location to watch the splendid sight of the sunset and also to relax. Ullal is a place in Mangalore that is easily accessible by train, auto rickshaw and bus from the center of the city.

Panambur Beach

Panambur Beach is a beach located in Panambur and it lies at a distance of 10 kilometers towards the northern side of the city. The beach lies very close to New Mangalore Port and near the convergence of the Arabian Sea and the Gurupura River. The beach is more deserted and serves as the best place for secluded and safe swimming. Panambur is a place that is very easily accessible by bus and auto rickshaw from the center of the city.

Suratkal Beach

Suratkal Beach lies towards the northern side of Mangalore at a distance of 15 kilometers and it is a beautiful beach with few rocks and a lighthouse.

Tannirbavi Beach

Tannirbavi Beach is considered to be the best beach located in Mangalore because of its wonderful sunset view. It is situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from the city of Mangalore.

Kapu Beach

Kapu Beach lies at distance of 45 kilometers towards the northern side of Mangalore and there are local express buses that can be used for getting to the beach which takes approximately 45 minutes.

Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach lies at a distance of 60 kilometers towards the northern side of Mangalore which is easily be reached by the use of local express buses. The beach consists of a beautiful resort and also a small island that takes15 minutes boat ride.

Population of Mangalore

As per the census report of 2011, the population of Mangalore is reported to be 484,785 in the metropolitan area while the population is 619,664 in the urban area of the city. The sex ratio of the city is 50% as the males in the city are 240,651 and the number of females are 244,134. 45.90 is the decadal growth of the city and the average literacy rate of the city has been recorded to be 94.03%.

About Mangalore


Male literacy in the city is 96.49% while female literacy is 91.63%. 8.5% of the population of Mangalore is under six years of age. The birth rate of the city is 13.7% while the infant mortality rate and the death rate in Mangalore has been recorded to be 3.7% and 1.2% respectively. There are 32 slums in the urban area of Mangalore consisting of 22000 migrant laborers. The crime rate of the city is also normal and there has always been a decrease that has been found in the crime rate of Mangalore.

Geography of Mangalore

The geographical location of this city is situated at 12o52 N and 74o53 E in the district called Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka. the average elevation of Mangalore is 22 meters above the level of sea. Mangalore possesses the position of being the fourth largest city of Karnataka and the largest coastal spot of the state of Karnataka. Mangalore is situated in on the western coast of India and the Western Ghats in the east and Arabian Sea in the west are found to be bound the city of Mangalore.

Mangalore city is spread over as area of 132.45 square kilometers and it is a municipal unit. During the daytime, the city experiences gusty winds that are quite moderate while during the night gentle winds are experienced by the people of the city. The topography of Mangalore is quite undulating because of plains, slopy hills, flat areas and valleys that are found within Mangalore. Laterite soil is found on the hilly tracts of the city while sandy soil is found along the shores.

Climate of Mangalore

Mangalore experiences tropical type of climate which works as an added advantage for the people of the city. Winters and summers are the same in the city with average temperature that ranges between 27o centigrade and 34o centigrade. Both the seasons are found to be pleasant in Mangalore but the only problem is the humidity that is around 78%. The months between September and May are considered to be the best to visit Mangalore. the city also experiences heavy rainfall measuring up to 4000 millimeters during the months between June and September. The rains do subside in the month of September but there is occasional rainfall experienced even during the month of October.
   

How to Reach Mangalore

Mangalore by Air

Mangalore International Airport is located at Bajpe which is a place that lies at a distance of 20 kilometers from the center of the city. This is the closest airport to the city of Mangalore and at present there are regular flights to Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Kochi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The companies that operate several flights to the city of Mangalore are Kingfisher Airlines, Air India Express, Spice Jet, Jet Airways and Air India.

Mangalore by Train

There are two large railway stations located in Mangalore and they are Mangalore Central and Mangalore Junction. Mangalore Central railway station is situated at Hampankatta which is the center of the city. The railway station serves as a terminus and it is mainly used by the trains that terminate at Mangalore. Mangalore Junction is located at Kankanady which is a place in Mangalore located at a distance of 5 kilometers from the center of the city. Trains of long distances stop at this railway station.
Apart from the above mentioned railway stations there are Suratkal and Udupi railway stations in Mangalore that are also considered to be important railway stations in the city.

Mangalore by Road

Mangalore comprises two important bus stands that provide long distance services of bus. One is KSRTC bus stand that is operated by the state government. This bus stand is situated at Bajpe towards the northern side of Mangalore but not very far away from the center of the city. Bus services to Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore and several other places both within and even outside Karnataka are provided to the people at this bus stand.

The other important bus stand in Mangalore is located behind Town Hall and it is called the State bank bus stand by the localities. This bus stand serves as the last stop of the majority of the private bus services that operate in Mangalore.
  

Eating Out in Mangalore

The best places that can be chosen for relishing the best and the most delicious breakfast recipes of Mangalore are the following:

  • Taj Mahal - Hampankatta & Kodialbail
  • Hotel Ayodhya - located in Kodialbail
  • Hotel Janatha Deluxe - K.S Rao Road & M.G Road
  • Hotel WoodLands - Bunts Hostel
  • Hotel Shivbagh – Kadri
  • Taj Gateway - Hampankatta
  • Hotel Goldfinch - Bunts Hostel
  • Hotel Utsava - K.S. Rao Road
  • Deepa Comforts - Kodialbail
  • Ocean Pearl – Kodialbail

Ideal places for lunch and dinner in Mangalore are the following:

  • Taj Gateway – Hampankatta
  • Hotel Goldfinch - Bunts Hostel
  • Hotel Moti Mahal – Falnir
  • Deepa Comforts – Kodialbail
  • Ocean Pearl – Kodialbail
  • Maharaja - Bunts Hostel
  • Kudla – Balmatta
  • Hotel Mane OOTA - M.G Road (Near Canara P U College)
  • The Village - Yeyyadi (Airport Road)
  • Taj Mahal - Hampankatta & Kodialbail
  • Hotel Ayodhya - located in Kodialbail
  • Hotel Janatha Deluxe - K.S Rao Road & M.G Road
  • Hotel WoodLands - Bunts Hostel


Shopping in Mangalore

Mangalore also serves to be the most exciting spot for shopping because there are a lot of shopping complexes and malls found in Mangalore. the main places of shopping in Mangalore are Balmatta, Hampankatta, Falnir and Kankanady. Apart from these places, there are new shopping complexes coming up on MG Road such as Empire Mall which consists of Coffee Day, Nilgiris supermarket, some retail chains and a multicuisine restaurant named Amazon. This mall also possesses a very good shop for cosmetic requirements and artificial jewellery known as Combinations. There is the Bharath Mall at MG Road that consists of Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Big Cinemas Multiplex, Pizza Hut, Planet M, Subway, Coffee Day, Provogue, Reebok, Swarovski, Levis and Adidas stores. Saibeen complex is another shopping mall located at MG Road.

Accommodation in Mangalore

  • Hotel Pooja International
  • Goldfinch Hotel
  • Ginger Hotel
  • Summer Sand
  • Hotel The Prestige
  • Woodside
  • Nalapad Residency
  • Hotel Pentagon
  • Hotel Parkway
  • Deepa Comforts
  • Taj Manjuran/Hotel Gateway


Fast Facts of Mangalore

  • Mangalore serves to be the only city in Mangalore that can be accessed by four routes that is air, rail, sea and road.
  • Mangalore ranks among those few districts that possess 100% literacy.
  • There is no information about any sort of natural disaster occurring in Mangalore.
  • Exactly 3 National Highways are found to pass through Mangalore.
  • The city is fast growing as the main hub for hospital, IT and BPO outsourcing industry.
  • Mangalore is a very small city but the amenities available in this city are those available in big cities. There are malls and shopping complexes located in the city and these malls deal in international brands. Entertainment options are huge in the form of discotheques, multiplexes, movie theatres, multi cuisine restaurants and pubs.
  • There is another city in Australia with the name Mangalore.
  • City Population: 4,85000
  • Area: 132 square kilometers
  • Elevation: 22 meters above the level of sea.
  • District: Dakshina Kannada
  • State: Karnataka
  • Location: 12o-52'N latitude and 74o-49'E longitude. Lies at a distance of 350 kilometers from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.
  • Most famous tourist spot in Mangalore: St. Aloysius Chapel that is located at Lighthouse hill road.
  • Most Famous Beaches in Mangalore: Mukka, Panambur, Suratkal, Someshwar and Tannirbavi.
  • Climate: Tropical monsoon
  • Rivers: Gurupura and Netravati
  • Water Park and Amusement: Vamanjoor and Manasa Water park.
  • Waterfalls: Adyar waterfalls located in the outskirts of Mangalore at a distance of 14 kilometers at a place called Valachi near Adyar.
  • Major exports: Cashew nuts and Coffee.
  • Natural boundaries: Arabian Sea and Western Ghats
  • Major Port: New Mangalore Port
  • Best time to visit: November to March
  • Famous for: Ice cream, fish, clay roof tiles, cashew nuts and cashew nut macaroons.
  • Local newspaper: Udayavani and Vijaya Karnataka.
  • Local magazines: Sudha and Taranga
  • Shopping and Entertainment: City Center Mall at KS Road and Bharath Mall at Bejai
  • IT Companies: MPasis BPO, Infosys, Lasersoft Infosystems Ltd, Software Paradigms Infotech Private Limited and Invengor Technologies.
  • National Highways that connect the city: NH 75 (Mangalore to Bangalore), NH 66 (Panvel to Mumbai) and NH 234 (Mangalore to Villupuram).
  • Mangalore Weather: Summer temperature is 26o to 33o centigrade and it lasts between March to May. Winter temperature ranges between 22o to 32o centigrade and it lasts between December to February. Rainfall from May to November and is recorded up to 3479 millimeters.
  • Languages: Kannada, Tulu, Hindi, English, Beary, Konkani and Malayalam.
  • STD Code: 0824 or +91824
  • Postal Code or Pin Code: 575001 to 575003.

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