An Introduction
Nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Mangalore is one of the biggest ports of India and a great holiday destination. Mangalore boasts of some of the best beaches on the western coastline of India, prominent among them being Malpe, Kaup, Penambur and Someshwar. Even Dolphins love the waters around Mangalore making this city a great place for spotting these intelligent beauties. For pilgrims, Mangalore and the surrounding areas abound with ancient and famous temples. Mangalore is also a cultural capital of sorts where one can experience the unique Dakshin Kannada culture. For a taste of high octane sports, witness Kadri Kambala where Buffaloes are raced by well muscled ryots across paddy fields!
Brief History
Mangalore gets its name from the famed 9th century temple of Mangaladevi. Mangalore has been a thriving metropolis for centuries as reflected by the chronicles of ancient travelers. Chettian the Pandian King called it Mangalapuram in the 7th century while the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta referred to it as Manjarur in the 14th century. Today Mangalore is a major hub of economic activity. It accounts for 75% of India’s coffee exports and a lion’s share of Cashew exports as well. Mangalore is also where many Nationalized Banks of India had their origins. Off late the Information Technology industry has also taken a fancy for Mangalore.
Pilikula Nisargadhama
Pilikula is an integrated theme park spread over 37 acres comprising a tropical forest, Biological Park, Arboretum, a Science Centre, a Lake Park with Boating Centre, a Water Amusement Park and a Golf Course. It is situated in one of the 18 globally recognized bio-diversity hot spots. The Pilikula biological park is dedicated to wild life species of Western Ghats. Most of the enclosures resemble the animal’s natural habitat. The park also doubles up as a rescue centre for orphaned animals in the region.
The Arboretum is a garden comprising of woody species of plants and has 60000 seedlings of flowering plants of Western Ghats. There are regular training programs held here for farmers especially about organic farming and other ways of sustainable usage of bio-diversity.
Artisan Village is an interesting destination at Pilikula. It showcases aspects of Dakshina Kannada’s cultural heritage in the form of exhibits and live demos. You can get a good glimpse of the several forms of art, architecture, folk arts, folk sports, popular rituals and practices prevalent in this region like Yakshagana, Kambala, Bhoota Kola and Naga Mandala.
Pilikula is located in Moodushedde, Vamanjoor. You can contact (0824) 2263565 or 2263562 to get in touch with the Pilikula society.
Dolphin Safari
The Penumbur beach is a hit among Dolphins and hence the best place around Mangalore for spotting them. Boats leave Mangalore in the morning from 7am till noon and take you 14 KMs into the mid sea to catch a glimpse of the Dolphins. Their abundance has encouraged the tourist authorities to offer a 50% refund in case of a no-show! The contact number for booking Dolphin Safari at Penumbur Beach is 94490 35570.Malpe is another beach that is very popular in these parts. Located 6 kms west of Udupi, Malpe is great for boating, bathing, fishing and angling. You can visit St Mary’s Island by taking a boat from Malpe Beach. The island is full of intriguing volcanic rocks. Make sure to visit Balaram Temple, Island of Darya Bahadurgarh and an old tile factory while at Malpe.
Temple Circuit
Mangaladevi temple is located in Bolar, 3 KMs from the city centre. The Shrine of Mangaladevi was discovered by Tulu King Kundaverma after being guided by two saints Machendranatha and Gorakanatha from Nepal. It is a belief that pious maidens who worship the Goddess Mangaladevi are guaranteed to get best-fit husbands! Make it a point to visit this temple during Navratri when the whole place takes a festive look all through the nine days.
The Durga Parmeswari Temple at Kateel is scenically located in the middle of the River Nandini. The Annual Festival of the temple is celebrated on the previous night of Mesha Sankramana day which falls in the month of April. The festivities are spread over a period of 8 days. Laksha Deepotsava or the Festival of lights is celebrated on the day of Kartika Bahula Panchami. The temple is 25 KMs north of Mangalore. From B.C. Road one can reach Kateel by taking turn towards Kaikamba on the Mangalore-Bangalore national highway
Buffalo Race
The historically famous Kadri Kambala race is held annually at Kadri Kambalaguthu. Kadri Kambala is a traditional sport of the farmers in this region. Buffaloes are brought to paddy fields in a procession accompanied by drums. Well muscled ryots race them through the fields in a derby with a difference. Every year close to 50 such events are organized throughout Dakshin Kannada district between November and March. The electrifying atmosphere is no different than what you will find at Super bowl or the IPL!
A Discovery
The temple trust of Kateel encourages various forms of traditional art like Yakshagana. Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form combining dance, music, spoken word, costume and makeup. There are 4 performing troupes active in this area and so it would be a great idea to visit Kateel between November & May to get an audience. The shows are usually an all night affair from 9pm to 6am!
Stay Options
Mangalore has plenty of hotels to suit the budget at every range in the city. There are also beach side resorts and home stay options available. We had stayed at the Jungle Lodges run resort at Gurupura inside Pilikula Nisargadhama. It was fun to stay inside the biological reserve away from the city. You can contact them at +9180-25597021.
Reaching Mangalore
Mangalore is well connected by Air, Road and Rail to other parts of India.While driving from Bangalore, Mangalore is around 350 KMS away and you need to take the NH 48 covering Nelamangala – Hassan – Shiradi – Uppinangadi. A more convenient mode is to take the overnight bus which takes about 7 hours. There are two trains also available from Bangalore. The morning train leaves Yeshwanthpura at 7.30 AM and takes the Tumkur – Arisikere route. The day journey along the Shiradi ghat is really picturesque. The train runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The evening train leaves at 8.30PM from Yeshwanthpur and goes via Mysore – Hassan route. This train runs daily. The journey takes 12 hours. There are four flights also available daily from Bangalore to Mangalore.
Mangalore is around 450 KMS from the city of Cochin. There are several trains and buses available on this route.
Mangalore is around 365 KMS from Goa. Those driving down can take the Karwar – Bhatkal – Udupi route via NH17. A plethora of trains is also available on the Konkan railway route to reach Mangalore. This route is very scenic especially during the Monsoon.
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