Mangalore is located in between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats in Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district and covers an area of 132.45 square kilometers. It has been a major trading port of south India from the medieval times and is known for its historicity. Even though it has been urbanized over the past few decades, it retains its tradition as a cultural centre and houses some of the most ornamental temples and sacred churches. The city is famous for its many beaches that are spread across its borders.
The city derives its name from the Hindu goddess, Mangaladevi. Due to its strategic location, it has been used for centuries to export many items including coffee and cashew nut. People of Mangalore engage in all sorts of urban and semi urban occupations. The population of Mangalore is said to be over 419, 000 people. Among them, Hinduism is the major religion practiced followed by Christianity. Tulu seems to be the primary language of communication in the city. However, people also speak Malayalam, Konkani, Tamil and Kannada.
The culture of Mangalore is reflected in its art forms, cuisine and architecture. Yakshagana is a famous folk dance performed in Mangalore during Dasara and Krishna Janmashtami. Karadi Vesha is another popular dance form unique to the city. During festivals such as Diwali, Dasara and Ganesh Chaturthi delicious treats are cooked. The Udupi cuisine in Mangalore has some exclusive dishes like Neer Dosa, Patrode, Boothai Gasi and Kadubu. Minor communities such as Catholic Christians and Muslims also celebrate their respective regional festivals.
Some popular tourist attractions of the city include St. Aloysius Chapel, Kudroli Gokarnath Temple, Kadri Manjunath Temple, Milagres Church, Kadri Hill Park, NITK Lighthouse and the Bejai Museum. But tourists come to Mangalore exclusively for its beaches and its excellent weather conditions.
The Tannirbavi beach, 12 kilometers from the bus stand, is one of the most exotic beaches in the city and is known for its picturesque view at sunset. It is located in Panambur and is less crowded. Ullal Beach is another commercial point in Mangalore where one can relish the cool breeze, engage in water sports or just take a walk along the shore. the Someshwar beach has water gushing into huge rocks that meet the sea at shore. It is located at the confluence of Netravati river and Arabian Sea. It is a common sight to watch tourists relaxing on these rocks and playing in the water. However, swimming here is quite dangerous.
The most popular beach of Mangalore is Malpe, located around 60 kilometers to the north of the city. It has luxurious resorts and entertains its crowd thoroughly. Suratkal Beach is 15 kilometers away and has a lighthouse and a few rocks. It is a calm and serene place to spend evenings. Some other lesser known beaches include Kaup beach, Panambur beach and Mangalore Beach.
December to February has pleasant winters with low humidity and it makes travelling easier. Monsoons, however, are exceptionally heavy from June to September and cover the landscape with beautiful showers. Mangalore flights are frequent and conveniently connect prominent parts of India like Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi.
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