Mangalore
The most dazzling place on earth (Atleast for me.. I was born here)
Mangalore: synonyms - Mangalapuram - Kodial -Mangaluru - Kudala (Phew ! quite a list)
I Am all crazy about this place , so it is possible that this review will in all probability be a biased one !
Mangalore, known as the ’’Pearl of the West Coast’’, is a fast growing city with its own unique history and panoramic landscape. In its own quiet way, it portrays all that is the essence of India.Lush green Landscapes, It almost feels like a jungle of coconut and supari trees.Fantastic open sea shores, beaches that strech for miles and miles.A mixture of communities and people sharing a common culture and tradition.. All this is Mangalore.
The actual derivative of the name Mangalore comes from a goddess Mangala Devi.
Kannada , Konkani(My Mother tongue) and Tulu are the main languages spoken in Mangalore.
Tourist Places
(Not the whole list...Mangalore has much much more to offer for the tourist than I can possibly list here )
Sultan Battery :
It is situated in Boloor.Built in Black Stones by Tippu Sulthan(King of the then state of Mysore) to prevent warships.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.
The government of India has still not declared this as a heritage site (sigh!).
There is a dark cave like looking tunnel that starts at the bottom of the fort. Folklore has it that this tunnel was a escape route built by Tipu Sultan and it ends in His fort at Srirangapatnam near mysore(more than 300 Kms away !)
Kadri Manjunath 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 thefoot 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.There are some stone caves on top of the hill which are known as the caves of the Pandavas
The idol of Lord Manjunathaswamy of the temple is called as oldest of the South Indian Temples.
St. Aloysius Church
It is situated 1 Km. away from Nehru Maidan Bus stand. 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 executed by Bro. Moscheni trained in Italy
Shree Venkataramana Temple
located at Car-street in Mangalore.Is a very old and famous temple with a history of more than 300 years.
Jod Mutt
Though this is not a tourist attraction, I had to mention this in my review.This is my Ancestral house.
Located about 1/2 K.m from the Shree Venkataramana Temple. The name Jod Mutt, Means it is a place where 2 Mutts(Temple) are. There are 2 Mutts(temples) opposite each other here in a very narrow lane.Ours house surrounds the temple.The sanctam sanctorum being in the centre.Anyone reading this and visiting mangalore just peep in here too.... (TIA).
Industry:
Mangalore is famous for its terra-cotta roofing tiles(They are called as Mangalore tiles throughout India ), cashew processing and for its beedies (handrolled tobacco leaves).some of the Most sold beedies in India are from Mangalore i.e prakash..Ganesh etc.
Corporation Bank(one of the largest banks in India) has its Head-Office in Mangalore.
Syndicate bank has it in Manipal (about 30 Kms from Mangalore).
Infosys has a Development center here.
Educational Institutions:
Mangalore(district) has some of the best Engineering , Medical and Management colleges in India - Manipal engineering college, Kasturba medical college , TAPMI (T.A PAI Management Institute) , Surathkal engineering college , Nitte Education Trust.. etc..
Things You should not Miss out in case you visit Mangalore :
1) A Visit to the Taj Mahal Cafetaria.It is very near to the Mangalore railway station. Have Kapi(Coffee) , Tup Dosa(ghee dosa) , Puri Sheera here. ( Yum !)
2) Ganesh Bakery - The butter and Macroons (A type of sweet prepared using cashew ) are a treat
3) Ideal icecream parlour - A must visit if you be to mangaore.They have branches all over Mangalore now .
The quality and types of ice cream they serve... Baskin Robbins ... Beware if they enter the International Market!!!
4) Visit to The Panambur beach, though this is a bit crowded now, Still worth a visit.
5) Goli soda -- A ginger flavored soda in the bottle that is sealed by vacuming a Marble.(Hope this sentence Makes Sense !)
6) Chill out in the rains ( If you Happen to be here in the monsoons ! Belive me rains in Mangalore are wonderful).
Things that are going wrong ( or right ) with Mangalore
1) Rapid development -- Half the roads are dug up for cabling..water pipes etc.
2) The FLAT system of housing has caught up. Traditionally Mangloreans had their own Houses( Bungalow type) But this is very fast giving way to the City like Flat system of housing, The result is that many of the scenic beauties that were visible from Hilltops are now not visible because of the high rises.
3) Electricity Problem.There is a severe power crunch in Mangalore.On an average 3 hours in a day there is a power cut.
I Make it a point to go to Mangalore once a year anyway !
I hope I have been Fair
Cheers !