Mangalore, the land of tulunads & nagas and locals also call it a land of ice cream. Most dismiss Mangalore (officially Mangaluru) as a stopover between Goa and Kerala, or a hub to access Coorg and Hassan. However, this bustling multicultural town is packed with history and many visit for its famed coastal cuisine. Named after the ancient temple of Mangaladevi at Bolar, 3km from the centre, Mangalore was one of south India‘s most famous ports frequented by Arab traders. It was already well known overseas in the sixth century as a major source of pepper; the fourteenth-century Muslim writer Ibn Battuta noted its trade in pepper and ginger and the presence of Persian and Yemenese merchants.
In the mid-1400s, the Persian ambassador Abdu’r-Razzaq saw Mangalore as a lucrative “frontier town” of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was why it was captured by the Portuguese in 1529, and later Tipu Sultan and the British. Nowadays, the modern port, 10 km north of the city proper, is principally known for the processing and export of coffee and cocoa (mostly from Kodagu), and cashew nuts (from Kerala). It is also a centre for the production of beedis (local cigarettes).
Coastal Karnataka Blog Article Links
| Coastal Karnataka Travel Guide | Udupi Travel Guide |
| Gokarna Travel Guide | Mangalore Travel Guide |
| Murudeshwar Travel Guide | Kayaking in Udupi |
| Article Content |
| Karnataka Travel Guide article blog links |
| 2-4 days itinerary for Mangaluru |
| Things to do |
| Best time to visit |
| Stay options |
2-4 days itnerary for Mangaluru
| Day 01 | Started for Mangalore at 1pm & reached by 2:15ish pm. Checked into our heritage home in Surathkal (20kms from main city). Enjoyed our day by the beach of our homestay. Grabed dinner in city at Janatha Deluxe in Padumudi. |
| Day 02 | Breakfast at Venu Tiffin room (closer to our heritage home in Surathkal). They serve amazing iddiapam & pineapple sheera. Explored 3 key temples – Gokarnanath temple, Mangaladevi temple and Kadri Manjunath temple. Lunch at New Tajmahal cafe. Enjoyed the evening by the beach of our homestay. |
| Day 03 | Breakfast at Venu tiffin room. Book an auto/ car for Jain temple tour that will take full day. |
| Day 04 | Spent quiet morning at the beach by the homestay. Post lunch flew back to Mumbai in evening. Bought some food souveniers like Banana halwa, Fanas halwa, and Fanas papad. |
Things to do in Mangaluru
- Pray at Kadri Manjunatha temple – Atop the Kadri Hill, 3 km north of the centre, Mangaluru’s tenth-century Manjunatha temple is believed to be the oldest Shiva temple in the city and an important centre of the tantric Nathapanthi cult, a divergent form of Hinduism and similar to cults in Nepal. Enshrined in the sanctuary are a number of superb bronzes, including a 1.5m-high seated Matsyendranatha, made in 958 AD. To see it up close, visit at darshan times (6am–1pm & 4–8pm), although the bronzes can be glimpsed through the wooden slats on the side of the sanctuary. If possible, time your visit to coincide with mahapuja (8am, noon & 8pm) when the priests give a fire blessing to the accompaniment of raucous music. Opposite the east entrance, steps lead via a reddish-coloured path to a curious group of minor shrines. Beyond this complex stands the Shri Yogishwar Math, a hermitage set round two courtyards.
- Take a temple tour within the city – There are few more important temples in Mangaluru & it will be a big miss to not visit them when in town. Ensure to visit (i) Mahathobara Shri Mangaladevi Temple, (ii) Shree Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple, and (iii) Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara temple.
- Visit old Jain temples to pay homage to Jainism in the area – You must visit (i) Saavira Kambada Temple or famously 1000 pillars jain temple located in Moodbidgri, (ii) Gommateshwara Statue in Shravanbelagola, and (iii) Cave temples in Badami. Each of these temples are not nearby & may require separate route & days to visit. However, these temples are important monuments giving a view into the rich heritage of one of the oldest surviving dharma (loosely translated as religion) of the world, Jainism.
- Enjoy beaches of Ullal & Iddy– To escape the city for a few hours, head to the suburb of Ullal , where a long sandy beach stretches for kilometres, backed by wispy casuarina trees. It’s a popular place for a stroll, particularly in the evening when Mangaloreans come out to watch the sunset, but a strong undertow makes swimming difficult, and at times unsafe. Iddy beach will be a different destination with empty beaches lined with large homes on one side. You will find many homestays here where these large homes of locals are now converted into homestays for travellers to enjoy. We stayed at one such homestay on Iddy beach.
- Watch some Kambla (buffalo) racing – If you’re anywhere between Mangaluru and Bhatkal from October to April and come across a crowd gathering around a waterlogged paddy field, chances are they’re there to watch the spectacular rural sport of Kambla, or buffalo racing. It’s a centuries-old tradition unique to Dakshina Kannada, the southernmost district of coastal Karnataka. Two contestants, usually local rice farmers, take part in the race, riding on a wooden ploughboard tethered to a pair of buffaloes. The object is to reach the opposite end of the field first, but points are also awarded for style, and riders gain extra marks – and roars of approval from the crowd – if the muddy spray kicked up from the plough-board splashes the special white banners, or thorana, strung across the course at a height of 6–8m.
- Relish Mangaluru cuisine – Most local joints will serve you really good Mangalorean cuisine be it vegetarian or non vegetarian. However, some of the local spots woth visiting are (i) Venu tiffin room for breakfast (ii) Hotel New Taj mahal is absolutely must for veg lunch (iii) Girimanjas’ for some brilliant seafood and (iv) Manchali reastaurant doesnt need more to say. read my complete food guide here.
Best time to visit
Winter season is the apt time to plan a trip to Mangalore. December to March are the ideal months to pay a visit here. If you are fond of Indian coastal rains, than Monsoon will also be a good season to visit as it brings very diffirent weather, flora-fauna that its magical. Summer season from March to May can be harsh and dry.
Stay options
Mangaluru has limited good options for Homestay & has more hotel options which is indicative of this city getting more business tourists. However, here are some options for stay in city: (i) Rockwoods homestay (ii) Hotel Sai Palace (iii) Hotel manorama (iv) Strings of Heritage. Here are some stay options in the outskirts of Mangalore: (i) Sun Sand Esta (ii) Sunset Bay (iii) Emmanuel Homestay (this is where we stayed. Its a beautiful traditional home but there is no one inside the home to service. So its like all good furniture & exterior but nothing to make you feel at home) (iv) River Roots resort (v) Phalguni River lodge (vi) The Estate Resort
Visual journey of our trip
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