Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Mangalore derives its name from the local Hindu deity Mangaladevi. Lying on the backwaters of the Netravati and Gurupura rivers, Mangalore is often used as a staging point for sea traffic along the Malabar Coast. The city’s port handles 75% of India’s coffee exports and the bulk of the nation’s cashew exports. It is perhaps the breathtaking natural scene with which Mangalore welcomes its people with, that makes it a lovely place to be in.
Mangalore was a port of great significance and the major seaport and ship building centre of Hyder Ali’s Kingdom. The city was quite peaceful during British rule, with the major urban and infrastructural developments taking place during the period. Mangalore flourished in education and in industries, becoming a commercial centre for trade.
Mangalore is demographically diverse with several languages. The city’s landscape is characterized by rolling hills, coconut palms, freshwater streams, and hard red-clay tiled-roof buildings. Mangalore’s city bus service is operated by private operators, with routes covering the full extent of the city and beyond. Another mode for local transportation is the autorickshaw. The minimum cost* charged by an autorickshaw up to 2 km is Rs 11.
Places of Interest
MangalaDevi Temple
The Mangaladevi Temple is a Hindu temple at Bolara in the city of Mangalore, India, situated about 3 km southwest of the city centre. This temple has influenced the name and importance of Mangalore. The name Mangalore is derived from Goddess Mangaladevi, the main deity of the temple. The temple has a special significance for the maidens. Maidens who observe Mangala Parvati Vrata will have their wish of having a suitable match, fulfilled. The temple can be reached by frequent bus service or auto rickshaws are also available for personal transportation.
Sultan Battery
It is situated in Boloor 6 km. away from Mangalore City Bus Stand. It was built in Black Stones by Tippu Sulthan to prevent warships to enter Gurpur river. Now the remaining part of the fort is called as Tippu’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 Manjunath Temple
Situated 4 kms away from Nehru Maidan Bus, the Kadri Manjunath temple 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 Bupendra built a mutt which came to be known as ‘Jogimutt’. There are some stone caves on top of the hill which are known as the caves of the Pandavas.
St. Aloysius Church
St. Aloysius College Chapel is situated in the heart of the city on the lighthouse hill about a kilometer away from Nehru Maidan Bus stand. It is well connected by all kinds of surface transport. This architectural gem is a ‘must see’ for anybody visiting Mangalore.
The Church was built in the year 1899-1900. The walls of the church are covered with the paintings of the artist Anthony Moscheni of Italy. It is comparable with the Sistine chapel in Rome. The special beauty of the chapel is the wonderful series of paintings that virtually cover every inch of the interior roof and walls executed by Bro. Moscheni trained in Italy.
Other places of interest:
Seemanthi Bai Government Museum
The city has a tropical climate as it lies on the path of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoons. Summer and winter are quiet alike in the city and both are quiet pleasant with average temperature ranging between 27 ‘C to 34 ‘C the only problem in these parts is the humidity that is an average of about 78 %.
Know more about Mangalore - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalore
Hotels at Mangalore - http://mangalore-hotels.hotelskarnataka.com/index.htm
