Mangalore, Karnataka – The beautiful city with pristine beaches, calm localities, clean & broad roads

Mangalore is a beautiful city in Karnataka state of India that greets visitors with its line up of coconut trees. With the Arabian city flowing adjacently, Mangalore is a renowned port city. The city lies on the west coast of Karnataka state of India and has five popular beaches. Someshwar, Tannirbavi, Mukka, Panambur and Surathkal. With its pristine beaches, broad roads and calm localities this coastal city was declared the eighth cleanest city in India. Mangalore ranked India’s 13th place in top business destination and in Karnataka its second after Bangalluru. At present Mangalore emerges as a chief port city of Karnataka. It is located in the Dakshin Kannada district of Mangalore. Mangalore attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year.

Places to see in Mangalore: Mangalore offers quite a lot of tourist attractions which include:

Sri Mangaladevi Temple

The place name Mangalapura ( now Mangalore) owes its origin to the temple of Mangaladevi. Situated in Bolar about 3 kms from Hampankatta ( the heart of the city), the temple has its roots into the ninth century. The ardent devotees even today believe that the worship of Mangaldevi brings them prosperity and happiness.

Sultan Battery

Situated in Boloor, 6 kms away from the Mangalore City Bus Stand, this was constructed in Black stone by Tipu Sultan to prevent warships from entering the GurpurRiver. Today the remaining part of the fort is known as Tipu’s well. Even though today this is a rather deserted spot, this watchtower gives one the impression that this is a miniature fortress.

Kadri Manjunath Temple

The temple of Manjunatheshwara on the hills of Kadri is a very beautiful and popular temple in Mangalore. It is said to be built during the 10th or 11th century. It was converted to a complete stone structure during the 14th century. The idol of Lord Manjunathaswamy of the temple is considered as the oldest of the South Indian Temples. In front of the temple, at an height there are a number of water ponds. There’s a garden surrounding the ponds. When one walks down from there in front of the temple is a huge lightpole. During karthika maasa, deepothsava is held here. There are statues of Machendranath, Gorakanath,  Shringinath, Lokeshwara, Manjushri and Budha in the temple.

St. Aloysius Church

Situated 1 km away from the Nehru Maidan Bus Stand in Mangalore, the walls of this church are covered with paintings of the Italian artist Antony Moshaini. Built between 1899-1900 the St. Aloysius Church has been described as an architectural gem and has even been compared to the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Light House Hill Garden

This 18th century light house is believed to have been built by Hyder Ali. There is a garden near the light house from where visitors get a beautiful view of the sea with sailing ships and boats.

Sri Sharavu Mahaganapathy Temple

Mangalore is known as a pilgrim center and boasts of many sacred temples like Sharavu, Kadri, Mangaladevi, Kudroli etc. Out of these Sri Sharavu Sharabeshwara – Sri Mahaganapathy Kshetra is an outstanding, pious center of great illustrious history of marathon 800 years. Since the temple is located in the heart of the city, locating and reaching the temple is very easy. It is at a walking distance from Hampankatta and also can comfortably reached by autorickhaws.

Ullal Dargah

Popular for the “Uroos Fair”, this is one of the main mosques in the region. Built in 1958 thousands of people from across the country visit the mosque to participate in the Uroos festival, that is celebrated once in every five years.

Mangalore Beach

It is located near the backwaters formed due to the convergence of Netravathi and Gurupur Rivers. If in Mangalore, do not miss the mesmerizing view of this beach. Also, a special night long performance known as Yakshagana performance is a must see. Kambala or Buffalo event is also a thrilling experience. This beach is at its best during October to February.

 Mary Beach

It is situated 58 km away from Mangalore in Udipi. The sight of the beach is mesmerizing and refreshing. Crystallized basalt rocks give this place a unique element. However, it gives the beach has a rocky terrain and makes it unfavourable for swimming or strolling.

Suratkal Beach

This beach is located at a distance of about 15 km from Mangalore. It is one of the popular beaches of Karnataka. On the shore of this beach there is a temple dedicated to Sadashiva.

Ullal Beach

It is just 5 km away from Mangalore. You may spend leisure time at this exotic beach and also enjoy the water games.

Nearby destinations from Mangalore: Mangalore offers  many places of attractions that are located nearby. Some of them are;

Dharamasthala

This temple village is located on the banks of the Nethravathi River and is located 75 km east of Mangalore. This little town is famous for a temple devoted to Shiva and the prime object of worship is the linga.

Udupi

This is a small town in southwest Karnataka, famous for a Krishna Temple, the town also lends its name to the popular Udupi cuisine. Udupi is famous for the Krishna Mutt Temple and is also the native place of the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya who founded the Krishna Mutt here in the 13th century.

Jog Falls

Located in Sagara in the Shinmore district of Karnataka the Jog Falls are the second highest plunge waterfalls in India after the Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya.

Gorkarna

Gokarna is a popular village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka and is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre as well as a tourist destination. The village is famous for its many beautiful beaches and temples.

Things to do in Mangalore: Enjoy the sight seeing trip in Mangalore. Apart from that you may also take a stroll along the Ullal beach and breathe in fresh natural air.

Best time to visit Mangalore: Mangalore offers hot summers and pleasing weather in winters. The best time to visit the place is during the months from September to February.

How to go ?

By Air

Mangalore Bajpe Airport is located nearly 10 km away from the heart of the city. Mangalore airport is connected to many cities India. Regular flights are available from Mangalore to Bangalore and Chennai. Taxi services are available from airport to city costing about Rs 200.

By Train

Mangalore is a major rail junction in South railway of India. The city is well connected to all major cities in India. Regular train services are there from Mangalore to Kochi, Chennai, Bangalore and Trivandrum.

By Road

KSRTC buses of Kerala and Karnataka connect all major cities in Kerala and Karnataka with Mangalore.  Bus services are available from Mangalore to Bangalore, Chennai and Trivandrum.

Where to stay ?

There are plenty of lodges and hotels as well as guest houses for tourists.

Moti Mahal : +91-0824-2441411  Website: www.motimahalmangalore.com
The Ocean Pearl: +91 -0824-2413800, 2491011  Website: www.theoceanpearl.in
The Gateway Hotel: +91 -0824- 6660 420  Website: www.thegatewayhotels.com
Hotel Venkatesh: +91-0824- 244 0793

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.