Mangalore Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Mangalore

Mangaladevi Temple is at a place called Bolara, which is 3 km south-west to the city of Mangalore. The temple is surrounded by many forts, that is why it came to know to be known as Mangalore, which means city of Mangala.

The temple dates back to 9th century founded by King Kundavarma, who ruled Tamil Nadu. Goddess Mangaladevi is the main deity of the temple. Special pujas are conducted during Navratri. On the ninth day of Navratri, a grand procession called Rathotsava is conducted when the deity is carried on a grand chariot.

People have a belief that visiting and offering prayers at Mangaladevi Temple brings good times. Ganeshotsav is also celebrated in this temple in a big way. The temple is easily accessible from Mangalore city by bus.

This temple is of special significance to the maidens. Mangala Parvati Vratha is exclusive of this temple. It is believed that young women who follow this vratha will get a suitable match and have a happily married life.

Tannirbhavi Beach is located in a place called Panambur which is 10 km north of Mangalore. The beach gives you a peaceful tune of calmness of a river and waves of the sea. There are plenty of state transport and private buses plying in that route from the capital city to Mangalore.

The beach is much deserted and possesses no busy essence of a crowded place. Some people love places that are devoid of crowd and believe in the fact that places like this should remain as they are and undisturbed without any artificial intervention. The place is apt for such tranquil naturalists who love secluded areas of nature.

On the other side of the beach there is a naphtha fired barge. The place is accessible only by road or ferry. By ferry it can be accessed through Gurupura river from Sultan Battery. Due to the seclusion of the beach, which is not yet a government-recognised tourist place, often accidents happen due to carelessness as there is no lifeguard system. So enjoy the beauty, but be cautious.

Sultan Battery is situated in Boloor, 4 km from Mangalore city. The place is known for the watchtower located amidst the beauty of nature, supposedly constructed by Emperor Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan built the tower 15 years before his death in 1784 AD. The place was previously known as Sultan's Battery, the word battery meaning firing of canons.

The place, built of black stones, was constructed to obstruct warships from entering the river, which was the major route for the English invasion but was then retrieved from the English by Tipu Sultan. Though the place holds the watchtower, it looks much like a fort with mounting places for canyons.

There is an underground storage area under the tower which was used to store gunpowder. This reminds us of the significance the place held as it was the major dockyard and arsenal of the ruler. It was also a naval station and this place was of great importance to the ruler as he used it to intercept enemy warships from docking.

If one climbs to the top of the watchtower by stairs, they can get a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea which leaves the nature lovers in boundless joy. This place is a blend of natural and man-made beauty. It is now a deserted place but is gathering popularity amongst tourists because of the invading eternal bliss of nature.

Someshwara Beach, located 18 km south of Mangalore, is a place with an endless sandy stretch pearled with the lining of swaying palm trees. The beach is well known for Rudra Shila, which is a large rock. A temple, believed to be constructed during the reign of Abbakka Devi, the queen, is also another attraction.

The beach offers an awesome view of the Arabian Sea. The place is accessible mainly through Someshwara bus stand, which is half a kilometre from the temple. The place has ruins of a fort and a palace.

The beach is popular for its 100 ft light tower, ascending to the top of which can give you a serene view of the Arabian Sea. About 11 km from south of the Mangalore city, it offers you the pleasure of seclusion and joy.

The best season to visit this place is from October to February. The picturesque beach is a treat for the frame lovers that the golden red sky, at the time of sunset, gives. The place has got every potential to be the hotspot of tourism but the government has not realised it hitherto. The NH 66 from Byndoor gives access to the temple near the beach.

Western Ghats is also known as Sahyadri range. It is a mountain range which is spread across the western part of India. It is one of the longest ranges running through almost 5 states. It starts from Gujarat and Maharashtra, passes through Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and ends at Kanyakumari, which is in Tamil Nadu with a length of 1600 km.

The hills of the ghats form the catchment area for drainage of rivers and forms about 40% of the drainage. It is a hotspot of diverse species of flora and fauna with 325 globally threatened species. Western Ghat has an average height of around 1200 m. Geologically, the Western Ghats are not mountains but the edges of the Deccan Plateau.

Western Ghats has a large collection of man-made lakes and reservoirs. Ooty Lake in Nilgiri hills and Kodaikanal Lake in Palani hills are famous lakes among these. Western Ghats serves as the origin for three perennial rivers, like Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, which drains into the Bay of Bengal in the east.

During monsoon, numerous streams and rivers striding down the ghats form spectacular waterfalls, of which Jog Falls in the state of Karnataka is one of the greatest in the country. Western Ghats also acts as the barrier to the west side, barring the moisture laden winds flowing westwards.

Western Ghats is home to many tropical ecoregions; it is an important ecological system in our country almost equivalent to the Himalayas, as it is a point of balance for the environment and climate of the whole country.

Mantra Surf Club located at Mulki, 30 km north of Mangalore, is India's first surfing club which introduced the country to the International Surfing Community. It was started by Jack Hebner and Rick Perry in 2006, who are the pioneers of surfing in the East Coast of United States. Surfing generally promotes health and spiritual being.

Mantra Surf Club is also an ashram. It is the members of the ashram that surf. In the daily program, along with surfing there is also meditation and chanting of mantras using a japamala. This is where the surfing club is innovative and stands unique. The main purpose of the club is to help people maintain a good spiritual health.

They also hold festivals during the year with the neighbour village. They also hold teachings on spiritual life and the spiritual way of living. It's been 15 years since they have launched this club but there are only 15 surfing members from India. That is why they are always on a high, inviting you to see and learn a whole new perspective of living.

The church was built in 1568 by the Portuguese. The oldest church was renovated in 1910 in Roman design of architecture. It is near a place called Hampankatta in Mangalore city in a calm and silent locality.

In the year 1910, the parish priest by the name Fr. H. I. Busoni demolished the old building and started the work on a new structure. The cathedral also runs a high school called Rosario High School. It also runs St. Vincent Paul Society meant for the upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden.

The church had always faced threats and its soul always outlived the threats and damages. The building as completely squandered by Tipu Sultan's forces in 1784 as it was a church started by a foreign force.

The cathedral has a dome and the cross on the dome was lit every night serving as a beacon for seafarers. It is also believed that the image of Virgin Mary on the altar was found by the fishermen when it got caught in the net. There is a lot of history attached to this and it makes a place worth visiting once.