The extremely fine place of Mangalore on a narrow coastal strip between the towering Western Ghats on one side and the blue Arabian Sea on the other has fascinated settlers from afar. The city is virtually a Tower of Babel, with the sounds of numerous languages blending on the streets. Mangalore is known for the diligence of its people and natural magnificence.
Today, Mangalore is the 3nd largest city in Karnataka. Yellow bananas hang in small, open-fronted shops; churches and temples dot the countryside; the town has been constructed on sub-Montana terrain.
Some of the tourist locations and daytrips are itemized below.
Almost all the well-known edifices in Mangalore are shrines. The Mangladevi temple and its deity reputedly gave Mangalore its name. The four-armed idol gets all the reverence due to the Mother Goddess. Originally, she was a princess of Kerala named Premala. A large temple chariot stands on the road outdoor the temple.
Abbakka Rani was a late 15th century princess who hated the Portuguese, separated her husband for accepting their impositions, fought him and eventually gave up her life rather than surrender to the Iberians. The repute of the Someshwar temple centres on the fact that Abbakka Rani used to worship here five centuries before.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary is the bench of the Catholic Bishop. Much has been made of the murals on the walls of the Chapel of St. Aloysius' College. They were supposedly painted by an Italian brother of the Jesuit order about a century back.
A popular destination for travellers is the Ullal beach, which has a resort for long stays. There are numerous unspoiled places along the coast to the north and south of Mangalore. A safari park is being developed at Pilkula, jointly by the forest and tourism departments.
About 65 km north of Mangalore is the pilgrim centre of Udipi, with its well-known Krishna temple. It was here that the saint Madhavacharya discoursed his philosophy of dualism 750 years back.
Mangalore is connected to the rest of the country by the Bajpe airport. It is also connected by rail as well as road.
A holiday to Mangalore is not complete without seeing the traditional gorgeously costumed Yakshagana show held all night. Generally based on mythological themes, the tempo shapes up gradually in the enjoyable night air, whipping up the eagerness of the audience.
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