A trip to Mangalore during the month of January was such a welcome break from stress. It ushered in a breath of fresh air, so to speak!!!
Mangalore, one of the largest port cities of the state of Karnataka is a modern,metropolitan city with a mixture of different cultures.
The day time train journey from Bangalore to Mangalore is a must do on everybody's wish list!
One encounters 57 tunnels and as many bridges during the journey along with some jaw dropping scenery of mountains and streams as a backdrop!
The city of Mangalore has tremendous potential to be a tourist as well as
become an important industrial tier-1 city of the state of Karnataka.
The coastal city is dotted with beautiful temples,churches,mosques, parks restaurants and beaches. The beaches are maintained very clean and is a sight to sore eyes!!!
The predominant languages spoken in Mangalore are Tulu, ( no dialect), Konkani, Malayalam and Kannada. Suffice is to say that Mangaloreans are linguists which is a fundamental requirement for the city to be metropolitan and cosmopolitan!!!
However, the city does need to drastically improve in terms of in-city public transportation
What I find is the fact that most people who visit Mangalore, forget to mention about the amount of greenery within the city limits!
It is city, for now, which has a lot of greenery within it's urban sprawl.
The city is famous for it's educational institutes; especially nursing colleges.
The city has good access to qualified man power which can help it to become extremely productive.
A visit to the city's zoo called as the Pilikula Zoo (www.plikulazoo.com) is a welcome one. One can choose to take the Buggy tour of the Zoo with a trail length of 2.5 km for a Rs.300/- fee. A little known fact about the zoo is that it happens to be the largest zoo in the state of Karnataka by area under semi-government control.
Mangalore's temples , namely the Kudroli-Gokarnatheshwara temple, commonly known as the Golden temple is a sight to behold!
The Goddess Mangaladevi temple, from which the city's name is derived (similar to the city of Mumbai from Mumba devi temple) is a historic one to visit.
Tipu Sultan's armory at the Sultan Bathery beach is a beautiful and indigenous monument as well!
The city has the potential to blend history with modern day technology and become truly cosmopolitan!
Mangalore can be a beacon to provide a fillip to tourism of coastal Karnataka!
