At a glance Mangalore is a narrow coastal strip, between the towering Western Ghats and the azure Arabian Sea. The city can often be mistaken for the Tower of Babel, with the sounds of several languages mingling on the peaceful streets.
About the city City of Linguistic Diversity. With its narrow, winding streets, quaint houses with the intrinsic terracotta-tiled roofs and laterite walls, beautiful beaches, temples and churches, the aroma of spicy coconut curries, Mangalore promises to help you unwindde-stress get caught up in enjoying the little things that nature promises to help you smile. Mangalore teaches you to enjoy lifeit teaches you to get up at the crack of dawn and sit by the porch sipping your first cuppa coffee in the peace and tranquility with the chirping of the birds and the kiss of the breeze to keep you company. Religious Places Mangaladevi Temple The city gets its name because of this temple. It was built by the Ballal family of Attavar in the memory of the princess of Malabar, Mangale, in the 10th century. The Goddess Mangale is worshiped as Shakti. The temple is 3 km away from main city bus stand. Kadri Manjunath Temple Kadri is another historic spot in Mangalore. Located atop the Kadri Hill, the temple dates back to about 1068 AD and has nine tanks. The Lokeshwara bronze statue here is tipped to be the best bronze statue in India. There are some stone caves in the hill which are known as the caves of the Pandavas. St. Aloysius Church St. Aloysius College Chapel is an architectural gem, comparable with the Sistine chapel in Rome. It has a wonderful series of paintings that virtually covers every inch of the interior roof and walls. There are 600 sq m of fresco painting and 400 sq m of oil canvas paintings on the ceiling. Most of these are the work of an Italian painter named Antony Moshaini. The Church is open from 8.30 am-10 am, 12.30 pm-2 pm, and 3.30 pm to 6 pm. Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple A religious centre with an illustrious history of 800 years, it is also cultural center for art forms like the Yakshagana. Humanitarian and social service activities are also undertaken here. Incidentally, the principal deities of the temple are Lord Sharabeshwara and Ganesha. Gokarnatheswara Kudroli Temple This is the only temple in Karnataka to be established by the famous philosopher, saint and social reformer from Kerala, Sri Narayana Guru. A renovation in 1991 gave the temple the Chola Gopuram-look famous in Kerala. The main Shiva idol here is carved out of marble and was discovered by Shri Narayana Guru in a water bed in Gokarna. Mosques Among the more remarkable mosques are the Jumma Masjid in Bunder, built centuries ago by the Arabs, and the Idgah Mosque at Lighthouse Hill whose construction is attributed to Tipu Sultan at the end of the 18th century. Ullal Darga Known for the Uroos Fair, this is one the main mosques in the region. Built in 1958, thousands of people from various states visit the mosque to participate in the Uroos festival celebrated once in every five years. Festivals Krishna Janmashtami (August/September) and Dusshera (October/November) are two festivals that are celebrated with enthusiasm. Aati festival is celebrated during the rainy months (July-August). Its highlight is the Aatikala - a ritualistic folk dance performed by the Nalke community. On a different note, the Annual Tibetian Festival aims to spread awareness of the Tibetan Freedom Struggle, and popularise Tibetan traditions, culture, food, dance and music. Newspapers and flyers advertise the details of when and where the event will be held.
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. Road: Mangalore is well connected to Bangalore (347 km) by road. There are luxury coaches plying between the two cities. Mysore, Coorg, and Hassan also have road links with Mangalore. Getting Around: The state transport system is well maintained and all the nooks and corners of the district can be reached by bus. But the roads are mean and winding, especially the ones that take you up into the hills or down the coastline. If you want to do things your way and at your pace, it's advisable to rent a taxi. A number of auto-rickshaws are also available in the main city area
Distances 75 km East from Dharmasthala 347 km East from Bangalore 30 km from Kateel 12 km from Turtle Bay
Best Seasons The best time to visit Mangalore is between December and February; the humidity levels are at an all time low in these months. Day-time temperatures fall below 30 C and night temperatures fall below 20 C. A hot summer can see temperatures soaring up to 38 C. However, a high relative humidity of more than 90 per cent makes it feel above 40 C. The monsoon season is quick to follow with very heavy rainfall compared to other urban centres in India. Rains measuring up to 4,000 mm fall between June and September. Being in the tropical region of the country, Mangalore 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. Thus, cotton clothing is apt for summers and woolens are required for winters in Mangalore.
Places in and around Kadri Temple Kadri Temple 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 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. St. Aloysius Church Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple 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 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. Catch a Yakshagana performance. The Kambala (buffalo race) is another exciting event that sets the adrenalin pumping. Become secular. Visit the 10th century Manjunatha Temple, St. Aloysius Chapel, and the Jumma Masjid. Take a walk on the Ullal Beach with its casuarina groves. Make a trip to the 1,000-pillared Jain shrine in Moodabidri. Visit the 452-ft tall monolithic statue of Bahubali and the St. Lawrence Church at Karkala. This is for the foodies. Visit Udupi for the scrumptious masala dosas. Catch the sunset at Ottanane near Baindur. Beaches Tannirbavi Beach One of the best beaches of Dakshina Kannada, watch the gorgeous sunset here. It is about 12 km from the main bus stand. Someshwar Beach The rock on this beach is a great attraction. Kaup and Malpe These silvery beaches offer boating and fishing. Sultan Battery Sultan Battery This fort of black stones was built by Tipu Sultan to prevent warships from entering the Gurpur River. What is left of the fort is called Tipu's Well. The Battery is 6 km from the main city. Light House Hill Garden A landscaped garden that offers delightful views of ships and boats at sail in the sea. Kadri Park A wonderful zoo with plenty of snakes, a beautiful garden and a toy train for kids and grown ups alike to tour in. The park is 5 km from the main bus stand. Albuquerque Tile Factory The famous maker of the famous red roof tiles of Mangalore! Renowned for its quality and finish, the factory exports tiles to Australia, Malaysia, the Middle East and East Africa. Souza Cashew Factory Mangalore is just as famous for its cashews as it is for its tiles. The Souza Cashew Factory in Kulshekar on the Karkala Highway processes cashew nuts and extracts oil from the cashew shells that are used in the paint industry.