Fast Facts
Location : Karnataka
Attractions : Kadri Manjunath Temple, St Aloysius Church,
Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple, Light House Hill Garden, Kudroli
Gokarnath Temple, Mangaladevi Temple, Seemanthi Bai Government Museum, Kadri
Park, Sultan Battery etc.
Best Time To Visit : October to March
Introducing Mangalore
Mangalore,
the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada (South Kanara)
districts is the main port city of the South Indian state of Karnataka.
Situated on the southwestern corner of Karnataka on the Arabian Sea,
Mangalore is one of the major ports of India. Mangalore is a historic town
and it is known as one of most famous ports of south India right from the
6th century AD. During the sixth century, Mangalore became famous as a major
source of pepper, and the 14th century Muslim writer Ibn Batuta noted its
trade in trade in pepper and ginger and presence of merchants from Persia
and Yemen. In Haider Ali's time, during the 18th century, Mangalore became a
shipbuilding centre.
Nowadays the city of Mangalore is known for the procession and export of
coffee and cocoa, and cashew nuts. Mangalore is very close to Madikeri and
Kodagu (Coorg) hill region and it's also a stopping off point between Goa
and Kerala. The charming city of Mangalore is blessed with natural gifts
such as coconut palms, rolling hills, meandering streams flowing into the
sea and beautiful serene beaches. Besides its picturesque landscape,
Mangalore is known for its ancient temples and a number of big industries.
So, don't forget to mention Mangalore in your itinerary of South India
Holiday. You will really enjoy the your vacation amidst the natural
surroundings and return to your home with some pleasant memories.
How to Reach Mangalore
By Air : Mangalore International Airport is located 20 km
north-east of the city near Bajpe. Flights are available from Mangalore to
cities like Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai. International flights are
available from Mangalore to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Bahrain and Doha.
By Train : Mangalore Railway Station is well-connected to
rest of the country by a number of express and mail trains. Mangalore is
served by a number of trains from Delhi, Agra, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad
and Thiruvananthapuram.
By Bus : National Highway 17 and other good network of
roads connect Mangalore with important destinations of Karnataka and
neighbouring states. Mangalore's KSRTC bus stand is 2 km north of the city
centre and is served by several private and government buses from all over
the city and other cities of Karnatka.
By Sea : The Mangalore Harbour provides a good connection
by sea to the rest of the world and is also the station for the Coast Guard.
The New Mangalore Port handles dry, bulk and fluid cargos, providing an
important gateway to the state of Karnataka.
Local Tranport : City buses and auto-rickshaws are
available as modes of local transport in Mangalore city.
Places Where You Can Stay
Mangalore is dotted with a wide-variety of hotels ranging from five-star
hotels to budget hotels. Most of the Mangalore hotels are located around the
KS Rao Road, south from bus stand and and suit most pockets. Some of the
famous hotels are Poonja International, RSTDC Mayura Netrawathi, Mangalore
International, Hotel Manorama, Hotel Manorama, Hotel Moti Mahal, Hotel
Navratna, Summer Sands Beach Resort, Navaratna Palace, Hotel Vishwa Bhavan,
Hotel Woodside, and Hotel Vishwa.
Tourist Attractions in Mangalore
Kadri Manjunath Temple : Kadri is a historic place in
Mangalore situated at a distance of 4 km from Nehru Maidan Bus Stand. Kadri
is home to Kadri Manjunath temple dating back to around 1068 AD. Set at the
foot of a high hill, the temple has nine tanks and houses the Lokeshwara
bronze statue considered the best bronze statue in India. Atop the hill King
Kundavarma Bupendra built a mutt which is called 'Jogimutt.' You will also
see some stone caves on the top of the hill, known as the caves of the
Pandavas.
St Aloysius Church : St Aloysius Church is located at a
distance of 1 km from Nehru Maidan Bus Stand. Built in the year 1899-1900,
St. Aloysius College Chapel is an architectural jewell and its inner walls
are covered with the paintings of the artist Moshaini of Italy.
Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple : Mangalore is renowned
as a pilgrim centre and home to a number of sacred temples like Sharavu,
Mangaladevi, Kadri, Kudori and many more. Among the sacred temples, Shri
Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple is an outstanding pious centre known for its
800 yrs old history. The temple stands in the heart of the city and you can
easily reach the temple on foot or by auto-rickshaws. Shri Sharavu
Magaganapathi temple is a centre of a variety of cultural activities such as
Yakshangana, Dance Drama events and also of numerous social activities. On
the special occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, Annual Car Festival or "Rathothsava",
Deepothsava or 'Festival of Lights' and on Shankasti Chaturthi days, large
number of devotees visit the temple to have the sacred "Darshana"
of Lord Sharabeshwara Lord Mahaganapathy.
Light House Hill Garden : Light House Hill Garden is just
one km away from the city bus stand. From the light house garden you can
have the sunset view, the splendid sea view and also the sailing ships and
boats on the sea.
Kudroli Gokarnath Temple : Situated 3 km away from the
main Nehra maidan bus stand, this temple is one of the main attractions of
Mangalore. Kudroli Gokarnath Temple has been renovated recently and now it
looks more beautiful.
Mangaladevi Temple : Mangaladevi temple lies 3 kms away
from the main city bus stand. In fact, the city of Mangalore derived its
name from this temple. Mangaladevi temple was built by the Ballal family of
Attavar in memory of a Princess of Kerala.
Seemanthi Bai Government Museum : Seemanthi Bai Government
museum is situated at Bejai, just 4 km away from main city bus stand. The
museum has a rich collection of idols and several other materials of
historic importance.
Kadri Park : Kadri Park is located at a distance of 5 kms
from main city bus stand. Some of the attractions of the park are snakes and
animal zoo and toy train.
Sultan Battery : Sultan Battery lies 6 kms away from
Mangalore in Boloor. Tipu Sultan built this battery to prevent warship to
enter Gurpur river. Now the battery is mostly in ruins and the remaining
part is called as Tipu's Well. Though Sultan Battery is a deserted spot but
it deserves a visit due to is exquisite construction. Actually Sutlan
Battery is a watchtower, but its gives the impression of a miniature
fortress with the arrangements for mounting cannons at all-side.
Tourist Attractions Around Mangalore
Kateel : Situated at a distance of 30 kms from Mangalore,
Kateel is the home of Goddess Durga Parmeswari. Legend has it that the
Goddess Ugra Bramari killed the demon (rakshasa), she was possessed with
anger, later the Devas led by Jabali performed abhishekam and requested the
Ugra Bramari to bless the world with her 'Sowmya Roopa.' Eventually Goddess
Durga appeared in her 'Sowmya Roopa' in the middle of the river, where he
present temple stands.
Udupi : Udupi is a
big town located at a distance of 60 kms from Mangalore. The town was
sanctum of Madvacharya, the great Sanskrit Philosopher. Udupi temple houses
an massive idol of Lord Krishna which is adorned with jewells. Main
attraction of this temple is a small window (Kanakana Kindi) through which
Lord Krishna is believed to have given 'Darshan' (a glimpse) to his devotee,
Kanakadasa.
Subramanya : Subramanya is situated at a distance of about
100 kms from Mangalore in the Sullia Talik of Dakshina Kannada district. Set
at the feet of western ghats, the Lord Subramanya Swamy temple is one of the
famous temples of South India. It is said that the Lord Subramanya Swamy had
made his spiritual presence in this shrine alongwith his wide Vasuki and
Devasena. Every year a car festival is held here on 'Margashira Shuddha
Shashti' with special poojas offered to the Lord Subramanya Swamy.
Dharmasthala : Dharmasthala is 75 kms away from Mangalore
in Beltangady Taluk of South Canara district. A well known sacred place in
South India, Sri Dharmasthala is home to the famous temple of Lord
Manjunatha. The temple is an excellent example of religious and cultural
tolerance where charity is an essential way of life, extended to all without
any kind of discrimination.
