Mangalore, Information about Mangalore, Mangalore in Karnataka

Mangalore, the headquarters of Dakshin Kannada district is an important seaport town and a major export centre of coffee and cashew nuts. The city flanked by Western Ghats and Arabian Sea has been a trading centre for many centuries. It came into prominence during 14^th century, when the local rulers became feudatories of the powerful Vijayanagar empire. With the arrival of Portuguese in 15^th century, the power balance along Malabar coast changed. They were subsequently driven-off by Haider Ali and Mangalore became the chief port and ship building centre of Mysore kingdom. The latter half of 18^th century witnessed struggle between the British and Haider Ali for the control of Mangalore. In 1784, the city came under the reigns of Tipu Sultan, who is said to have imprisoned thousands of Kanarese Christians and took them to Srirangapatnam. The British finally defeated Tipu Sultan in 1799 and Mangalore became the headquarters of South Kanara district. With time the coastal town has developed into a major commercial centre. Three major banks – Canara, Corporation and Syndicate have emerged from Mangalore. The city is also studded with huge public sector undertakings like NTPC and Mangalore Refinery. Its tourist attractions includes beaches, backwaters, seaside fortress, architecture and of course a pleasant climate.

Tourist Attractions in Mangalore

The Sultan’s Battery
The Tipu Sultan’s for now in ruins, once guarded the Naval stations here.

Kadri Temple
This spacious square shaped temple complex is set amidst scenic surroundings. It is modern in layout and has unique seven tanks surrounded by swaying palm trees. The bronze statue of Lokeshwara in the shrine is believed to have been cast in 968 and is one of the finest bronzes in India.

St. Aloysius College Chapel
This relic of colonial past is known for murals, painted by Rev. Antonio Moscheni in early 20^th century.
Other attractions includes, MangladeviTemple and Rosario Chathedral etc.

Around Mangalore

Ullal Beach (11 kms.)
The scenic sea-side village set on the mouths of two rivers is famous for the Summer Sands Beach Resort.

Mudabidri (34 kms.)
This small town popularly referred as ‘Jain Varanasi’ is dotted with 18 Jain bastis or monasteries. The most famous being the 1000 pillared Chandranatha Basti built in 1429. the Jain Temples teem with exquisite sculptures.

Dharmasthala (69 kms.)
Dharmasthala or the ‘place of religion or faith’ it an important pilgrim centre and shining example of communal harmony and cultural tolerance.

Manjunatha Temple
It is the main attraction of Dharamstala. The shrine has of devotees irrespective of castes and creed come to pray here. Another attraction is the 14mtrs. Gomateshwara statue erected in 1973, on the low hill above the temple. The monolith is very similar to the famous Gomteshwara statue at Sravanbelagola and at nearby Karkal and Venur.

Udupi (58 kms.)
This important Vaishnavite pilgrim and cultural centre is also famous for delicious South Inidan cuisine. The Udupi restaurants are well known for their delicacies and hygeineand can be seen all over the country and even abroad.

Udupi Krishna Temple
It is located in the heart of the town and is associated with Sri Madhwacharya, a Krishna devotee who propounded Dwaitha philosophy about 700 years ago. The colourful ‘Paryaya’ festival held once in two years attracts large number of devotees from all over the country.

Kallianpur (4 kms.)
The relics of an old fort built during the Vijayanagara period can be seen here. Some of the important shrines are, Kenchamma, Veerbhadra, Mahalingeshwara and Ganapathi.

Malpe (6 kms.)
This quite beach resort is about 6 kms. From Udupi. The beautiful St. Mary’s island can be reached by boat from here. It is believed to be the site where Vasco da Gama first landed on his arrival to India.

How to reach Mangalore

By Air:

Bajpe airport is lies 20 kms. From Mangalore. It is connected by air with Mumbai, Bangalore and Kochi.

By Rail:

Connected by rail.

By Road:
Well connected by road. There are bus services from Bangalore (347 kms.), Karwar (260 kms.) & Mysore (248 kms.).

To know the distances from Mangalore click here.