My Coastal Karnataka Diary - Sojourn of Mangalore and around
What is the first thought that comes to mind when we talk about the coastal town of Mangalore - For me since my first visit to Udupi, I was in love with the beaches and veg south Indian food so for me these were the two things topmost in my mind when I set out for my 2nd city sojourn in coastal Karnataka - Mangalore. Though being much larger in size as compared to Udupi it wasn't easy to travel length and breath of the city in a way I love to travel - in public transport and still be able to tick all attractions of the town from the bucket list. With limited holidays in hand I set out on my solo trip to Mangalore and nearby holy city of Dhamasthala.
Mangalore has two train stations and that was something I realised only during my conversation with rickshaw driver, Thankfully I now knew which one I would be travelling for my return journey. Hotels are in plentiful in the city as per budget, Mangalore is one city which has made it big in medical tourism. Lot of hospitals cater to foreign tourist from middle east which in turn has impacted positively on hospitality business.
Mangalore History: Mangalore is named after the presiding deity "Mangladevi". According to legends one princess from Malabar named Parimala renounced her kingdom and become a disciple of Matsyendranath - the founder of Nath tradition. She arrived in the area with her Guru but had to settle at a place near Bolar where she fell ill and eventually died. Mangaladevi temple was consecrated in her honour. One of the earliest reference of the city was made way back in 715 CE by a Pandyan King who called the city Mangalapuram. Some historians say Mangalore is corruption of Mangaluru.
Things to see & do: Religion is intertwined with the life in Mangalore just like it is often seen in India. 13th century traveller Ibn Batuta has mentioned that Persian and Yemeni traders had settled in the city way back then. The Vijaynagara kings, Portuguese, Dutch, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, Britishers, they all came, they saw, they conquered and were in turn conquered by mystical Mangalooru.
European influence on the city can be traced back to late 14th century when Vasco da gama landed on St Mary Island near Mangalore. Portuguese, Dutch as well as British have all ruled over the city so there is sizeable population of Christian community. There are handful of heritage churches in the city. One of them is Our Lady of Miracles situated in the heart of the city. Established in 1680 by Bishop Thomas de Castro, it is one of the oldest churches in Dakshina Kannada. It was razed by Tipu Sultan in the 18th century and rebuilt in 19th century. It had to be rebuilt as it collapsed due to structural reasons and what we see today is the church modelled on St Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
European influence on the city can be traced back to late 14th century when Vasco da gama landed on St Mary Island near Mangalore. Portuguese, Dutch as well as British have all ruled over the city so there is sizeable population of Christian community. There are handful of heritage churches in the city. One of them is Our Lady of Miracles situated in the heart of the city. Established in 1680 by Bishop Thomas de Castro, it is one of the oldest churches in Dakshina Kannada. It was razed by Tipu Sultan in the 18th century and rebuilt in 19th century. It had to be rebuilt as it collapsed due to structural reasons and what we see today is the church modelled on St Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
Tucked away on sprawling campus on a hill is city's famous college and a chapel St Aloysius Chapel built in 1885. The main attraction of this chapel is every square inch and domed roof is covered by frescoes - the painting was done by Italian Jesuit priest Antonio Moscheni. Locals compare the intricate art to Sistine chapel. Unfortunately they don't allow it to be photographed but this is one thing not to be missed when in Mangalore.
The campus also has a museum which is worth visiting. The museum has huge collection of old artifacts.
Like many other cities in India, Mangalore has also been swept by urbanisation and with the ever expanding borders of the city, Mangalore was once city with many hills but with expanding borders of the city they have slowly disappeared in urbanisation. On one of the earlier hills called Light house hill, lies Tagore Garden. A tall structure stands in the park which once served as a watch tower for Sultanate of Mysore navy. It was built by Hyder Ali - father of Tipu Sultan. The watch tower also served as base for British navy, It is from here that British resident commanders would keep an eye on merchant ships movement.
Just opposite to the lighthouse is some heritage house which caught my eye. It said "Ladies club" with year 1923. On more research online found that the club is of women, by women and for women. Since inception it has worked towards women upliftment and is involved in various kinds of social activities.
The Sharavu Mahaganpati temple in the heart of the city is most revered and visited temple. Legends have it that temple inspired Tipu Sultan so much that he gave up his plans to ransack and took to offering gold every year as a sign of devotion.
Ullal attractions: 18 kms from Mangalore city center lies Ullal - Ullal is one of the oldest town in India. It was ruled by legendary Queen Abakka Chowta - a Jain Queen in 16th century. It is one of the earliest examples of women liberation. She is said to have successfully defeated Portuguese twice. Ruins of her forts is seen close to the famous temple of Somanatheshwara temple.
Ullal is known for its beach with same name. A picturesque beach dotted with coconut trees and rural houses. This quaint sea town is one of the earliest examples of coastal erosion which occurred in late 90's. The damage was reduced with huge sand bags placed on its beaches. It can still be seen at Ullal beach.
The town is home to a 16th century Jain temple or Basadi which belonged to Queen Abakka. The temple built in Canara style is quite unique in many ways and completely different to Jain temples seen in western and central India.
Naga stone in temple premises, Naga cult pre dates even before the advent of Sankritised Hinduism in the region.
A short distance from the town lies the famous temple of Somanatheshwara and beach. The temple is famous for the last rituals done for departed soul. Situated a hill, It was built in 10th century by Kings of Alupa dynasty. Inscriptions found at the temple indicate it was renovated in 15th century by Vijayanagara King Immadi Devaraya.
Presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva and temple is adorned with beautiful sculptures. In temple premises there is statue of sage Parshurama. As per mythology the coastal regions right from Vasai in Mumbai to Kerala is said to creation of sage Parshurama.
Close to the temple lies the famous beach with same name. It is a very pristine beach with golden sand, greenery and coconut palms. The beach gets divided into two by a huge shile or a rock called Rudra Padhe. Climbing on the shile and watching the mesmerising sunset is a must do and should be on every travelers itinerary when in Mangalore.
No visit to Mangalore is complete without paying obedience to the mother Goddess of Mangalore - Mangaladevi. Its a 9th century temple in Bolar locality of Mangalore. The idol of mother goddess is very beautiful. The best time to visit would be either early morning or in evenings during the time of aarti.
Mangalore city map is dotted with lot many attractions be it beaches, beautiful temples and heritage churches, then there are colonial style villas and watch towers like Sultan battery, old port area etc. If these attractions don't attract you then the food would not only pull you but spoil you by the time you leave the city.
The Sharavu Mahaganpati temple in the heart of the city is most revered and visited temple. Legends have it that temple inspired Tipu Sultan so much that he gave up his plans to ransack and took to offering gold every year as a sign of devotion.
Ullal attractions: 18 kms from Mangalore city center lies Ullal - Ullal is one of the oldest town in India. It was ruled by legendary Queen Abakka Chowta - a Jain Queen in 16th century. It is one of the earliest examples of women liberation. She is said to have successfully defeated Portuguese twice. Ruins of her forts is seen close to the famous temple of Somanatheshwara temple.
Ullal is known for its beach with same name. A picturesque beach dotted with coconut trees and rural houses. This quaint sea town is one of the earliest examples of coastal erosion which occurred in late 90's. The damage was reduced with huge sand bags placed on its beaches. It can still be seen at Ullal beach.
The town is home to a 16th century Jain temple or Basadi which belonged to Queen Abakka. The temple built in Canara style is quite unique in many ways and completely different to Jain temples seen in western and central India.
Naga stone in temple premises, Naga cult pre dates even before the advent of Sankritised Hinduism in the region.
A short distance from the town lies the famous temple of Somanatheshwara and beach. The temple is famous for the last rituals done for departed soul. Situated a hill, It was built in 10th century by Kings of Alupa dynasty. Inscriptions found at the temple indicate it was renovated in 15th century by Vijayanagara King Immadi Devaraya.
Presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva and temple is adorned with beautiful sculptures. In temple premises there is statue of sage Parshurama. As per mythology the coastal regions right from Vasai in Mumbai to Kerala is said to creation of sage Parshurama.
Close to the temple lies the famous beach with same name. It is a very pristine beach with golden sand, greenery and coconut palms. The beach gets divided into two by a huge shile or a rock called Rudra Padhe. Climbing on the shile and watching the mesmerising sunset is a must do and should be on every travelers itinerary when in Mangalore.
No visit to Mangalore is complete without paying obedience to the mother Goddess of Mangalore - Mangaladevi. Its a 9th century temple in Bolar locality of Mangalore. The idol of mother goddess is very beautiful. The best time to visit would be either early morning or in evenings during the time of aarti.
Mangalore city map is dotted with lot many attractions be it beaches, beautiful temples and heritage churches, then there are colonial style villas and watch towers like Sultan battery, old port area etc. If these attractions don't attract you then the food would not only pull you but spoil you by the time you leave the city.
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