Mangalore

At a distance of 345 km from Bangalore, 275 km from Karwar, 251 km from Mysore, 132 km from Coorg, 372 km from Goa, 413 km from Coimbatore, 420 km from Kochi and 682 km from Chennai, Mangalore (or Mangaluru) is an important port city on the west coast and the headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka State. Located at the confluence of Nethravathi and Gurupura Rivers, it is among the popular Tourist places in Karnataka and one of the popular 2 day trip from Bangalore.

Lying between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Mangalore is one of the major ports of India. The city derives its name from the local Hindu goddess Mangaladevi. The sultans of Mangalore built the city as a strategic ship building base. Today, the city is one of the major ports involved in coffee and cashew export.

Mangalore was occupied by a number of rulers such as the Rashtrakutas, Kadambas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar dynasties as well as the Portuguese in the mid16th century. The region was later occupied by Hyder Ali in the year 1763 and then came under the rule of British from 1768 to 1794. Tipu Sultan again took control of this area in 1794. After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the city was re-conquered by the British and it remained under British administration till India's independence in 1947.

Mangalore is a scenic place dotted with coconut palms, hills and streams, and is known for its temples and beaches. The Mangaladevi temple, Kadri Manjunatha temple, St Aloysius Chapel, the Rosario Cathedral and the Jama Masjid are the important pilgrimage sights in Mangalore. It also boasts an array of clean, serene beaches, some of which are Mukka, Someshwara, Tannirbavi and Panambur beaches surrounded by palm and coconut trees. It is also famous for its seafood and Udupi-style dishes. Dharmasthala, Subramanya, Kollur, Udupi, Karkala, Venoor and Moodabidri are the nearby places of interest.

Yakshagana is the most famous folk dance of the city and it is quite spectacular. This is a night long drama and dance concert that serves as the perfect representation of the cultural heritage of Mangalore.

Mangalore airport, 15 km from Managalore city, is well connected by flight with the cities like Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Kochi, Trivandrum, Pondicherry, Goa, Kolkata, Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore.

There are two important railway stations in Mangalore one is Mangalore Central and the other is Mangalore Junction. Mangalore Central is the hub for trains with Mangalore as final destination while Mangalore Junction is the halt for long distance trains passing through Mangalore. Mangalore has train connectivity with Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Nagarcoil, Trivandrum, Kochi, Karwar, Cannanore, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, New Delhi and Madgoan.

There are two main bus stations in Mangalore - KSRTC Bus Station with connectivity to Bangalore, Goa, Mysore, Hubli and Mumbai. The other bus station is called State Bank Bus Stand with buses to nearby town in Kerala and Karnataka.