- Best time
- October to March
- Nearest airport
- Mangalore International Airport (IXE)
- Nearest railway station
- Mangalore Central
- Distance from Bengaluru
- About 350 km
- District
- Dakshina Kannada
A little history
Over the centuries the town passed through the hands of the Kadambas, the Alupas, the Vijayanagara empire and the Keladi Nayaks, with the Portuguese and later Tipu Sultan also leaving their mark. Today the New Mangalore Port, opened in 1974, handles large volumes of coffee, cashew and iron ore, and the city is also an education and IT centre.
What to see
Start with the temples: Mangaladevi, Kadri Manjunatha with its bronze images, and the colourful Kudroli Gokarnatha. St Aloysius Chapel on Lighthouse Hill is covered in paintings by the Italian Jesuit artist Antonio Moscheni, showing scenes from the life of Christ and of St Aloysius Gonzaga. Sultan Battery, a small black-stone watchtower from Tipu Sultan's time, once guarded the mouth of the Gurupura.
- Mangaladevi Temple
- Kadri Manjunatha Temple
- Kudroli Gokarnatha Temple
- St Aloysius Chapel
- Sultan Battery
- Panambur Beach
- Tannirbhavi Beach
- Ullal and Someshwara beaches
- Pilikula / Butterfly Park
Beaches
Panambur Beach, next to the port, is the liveliest, with food stalls, camel rides and a kite festival held in some years. Ullal is quieter, and Someshwara has rocky outcrops at the water's edge. Swim only where lifeguards allow it, as currents can be strong.
Food and festivals
Try Mangalorean fish curry, neer dosa, kori rotti and goli baje. Diwali, Christmas, Eid and Krishna Janmashtami are all celebrated widely, and during Dasara you may see Pilivesha tiger dancers in the streets.
When to go and how to reach
October to March is the pleasant season; June to September brings very heavy monsoon rain. Mangalore International Airport (IXE) has flights from major Indian cities and the Gulf. Mangalore Central and Mangalore Junction stations have trains along the Konkan and Kerala routes, and KSRTC and private buses run to Bengaluru, Mysuru, Goa and Mumbai. Bengaluru is roughly 350 km away by road.
Also nearby
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