| FACTS
AND FIGURES
Population : 4,80,000
Languages : Tulu, Konkani, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
Best time to visit : September to February
STD code : 0824
LOCATION
Situated in the Western Ghats of Karnataka,
Mangalore is one of the important centers of exporting
coffee and cashew nut. It is a hilly city with winding
disoriented streets located some 357 km away from the
city Bangalore.
CLIMATE
Being in the tropical region of the
country, it has a languid tropical atmosphere, hot and
humid during summer and comfortably cold during winter
season. Winter is the best time to visit this place
as the humidity during summer makes traveling uncomfortable.
PAST
This city is said to have been named
after the famous Mangaladevi Temple. This temple, also
a tourist spot, is situated 3 km away from main city
area. This temple was built by the Ballal family of
Attavar in memory of a princess of Kerala. Not much
history could be found about this area though the local
museum would be a right place to go for the history
of this place.
SITES TO VISIT
Sultan Battery is situated in Boloor
4 km away from Mangalore City. It was built in Black
stones by Tipu Sultan to prevent warships to enter Gurupur
river. Now the remaining part of the fort is called
as Tipu's Well. It is today a deserted spot but its
construction is bafflingly exquisite. Although it is
a watchtower, it gives the impression of a miniature
fortress with its arrangements for mounting cannons
all round.
Kadri is another ancient historic spot in Mangalore.
The Kadri Temple dating back to about 1068 A.D. with
its nine tanks, its square temple, nestling at the foot
of the highest hill, draws to Mangalore hundreds of
visitors annually. The Lokeshwara bronze statue of the
Kadri Manjunatha Temple is tipped to be the best bronze
statue in India. On top of the hill King Kundavarma
Bhupendra built a mutt, which came to be called 'Jogimutt'.
There are some stone caves on top of the hill, which
are known as the caves of the Pandavas.
St. Aloysius Church is situated 1 km away from the
city’s main center. The walls of the church are
covered with the paintings of the artist Antony Moshaini
of Italy. The church was built in the year 1899-1900.
St. Aloysius College Chapel, an architectural gem, comparable
with the Sistine chapel in Rome, is situated on lighthouse
hill. The special beauty of the chapel is the wonderful
series of paintings that virtually cover every inch
of the interior roof and walls.
Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple of Mangalore is known
as a pilgrim center and boasts of many sacred temples
like Sharavu, Kadri, Mangaladevi, and Kudroli etc. Out
of these Sri Sharavu Sharabeshwara - Sri Mahaganapathi
Kshetra is an outstanding, pious center of great illustrious
history of marathon 800 years.
Kudroli Gokarnath Temple is situated 3 km away from
main city area. Recently, this temple has been renovated
and now it is one of the tourist attraction places in
Mangalore.
SITES NEARBY
Dharmastala, situated 75 km east of
Mangalore, has a number of Jain bastis including the
famous Manjunatha Temple. There’s also a 14-m-high
Bahubali statue, which was erected in 1973. There is
also a museum visiting which will give the visitor some
idea of the place. Situated approximately 50 km northeast
of Mangalore city is the Venur town. This small town
is famous for its eight Jain bastis and the ruins of
the Mahadeva temple. An 11-m-high Bahubali statue dating
back to 1604 stands on the southern bank of the Gurupur
River. Mudabidri has 18 Jain bastis. Situated 35 km
northeast of Mangalore, this place is famous for its
15th-century Chandranatha temple, known colloquially
as the 1000-pillar hall. Situated 20 km north of Mudabidri
is Karkal, famous for its several important temples
and a 13 km high Bahubali statue. The Bahubali statue
is said to have been completed in the year 1432. The
statue is on a small serene hillock on the outskirts
of the town. One can get a good view of the Western
Ghats from here.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
Dussehra and Sri Krishna Janmashtami
are two of the festivals that are celebrated with notable
festivity and enthusiasm. Sri Krishna Janmashtami witnesses
the exuberant enactment of the God’s childhood
endeavors to steal butter and curd from earthen pots
beyond his reach. A matka or pot containing these is
suspended high above the ground and groups of young
men and children form human pyramids to try and reach
the pot and eventually break it.
Tiger Dance is a unique form of folk dance in Dakshina
Kannada that fascinates the young and the old alike.
Since tiger is considered as the favored carrier of
Goddess Sharada (the deity in whose honor Dussehra is
celebrated), this dance is performed during the Dussehra
celebration. It is also performed during other festivals
like Krishna Janmashtami.
Aati festival is also one of the festivals especially
celebrated in Mangalore. Aatikalañja is a ritualistic
folk dance performed by the Nalke community. Kalañja
is the name of a minor spirit who is in charge of the
protection of the village folk during the month of July-August
rainy season. And that was Aati (Tulu for the month
of Aashadha), wherein, according to the Hindu almanac,
nature was at her vicious best. Aati commences from
July 17 and runs up to August 15.
Along with the other Hindu festivals, Ganesh Puja and
Navaratri are also celebrated here.
SHOPPING
Being a not-so-happening city, the market
has nothing much to offer except thelocally available
daily necessities. However, one can look for some of
the unique locally available products to get along as
a remembrance of the visit.
 WHERE
TO STAY
There are a number of hotels and lodges
are available in the Mangalore city. One can easily
opt for the different ranges available here. These hotels
also provide good delicacies to indulge on.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
Mangalore city is accessible by almost all
the transportation systems. The airport is 20 km from
the city center. One can take the locally available
road transport medium to reach the airport to catch
a flight.
By Rail
The Mangalore train station is on the southern
fringe of the city center. However, some of the trains
stop at the Kankanadi Station situated 5 km east of
the Mangalore main city.
By Road
The state transport system is well maintained
in the city, which connects it with the nearby places
of importance. Numbers of auto-rickshaws are also available
in the main city area.
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