State: Karnataka

District: Dakshina Kannada or South Canara

Main languages: Kannada and English, Tulu, Konkani

 

History:

 

The city of Mangalore is also the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka and it is bounded by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district. The city gets its name from the local Hindu deity Mangaladevi. The city had been ruled by various rulers like the the Kadambas, Vijayanagar dynasty, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, and also the Portuguese. Mangalore was the source of contention between the British and the Mysore rulers, Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan. The city had been eventually annexed by the British in 1799 and remained part of the Madras Presidency until India's independence in 1947. The city has mixed cultural groups living together. Matsyendranath, is regarded to be the founder of the Nath tradition, and he had arrived in the area with a princess from Kerala named Premaladevi. The city's name was made in 715 CE by the Pandyan King Chettian, who called the city Managalapuram. The 11th-century Arabian traveler Ibn Battuta had also referred to Mangalore as Manjarur and in Karnataka it is called Mangaḷūru. The city also gets its name from various other communities and cultures. The city has also been mentioned in the epic Ramayana. History reveals that various regional and foreign powers have fought over the control of Mangalore. The European influence in Mangalore can be traced back to 1498, the year in which, Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama landed at St Mary's Island near Mangalore. In the year 1520 the Portuguese had taken over the Vijayanagara dynasty, and ruled the city until the latter half of the 18th century.  In 1763, Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, conquered and it remained in their hands till the Second Anglo–Mysore War that resulted in Treaty of Mangalore, signed between Tippu Sultan and the British East India Company. 

 

Geography and climate:

 

The city had been developed as a port on the Arabian Sea and has a tropical climate. It gets rain from the South-West monsoons. The city is located at 12°52′N 74°53′E/ 12.87, 74.88 and has an average elevation of 72 ft above mean sea level. The city is situated on the west coast of India, and its topography of the city ranges from plains to several hills, valleys and flat areas also. The city is located on the backwaters of the Netravati and Gurupura rivers, which effectively encircle the city. The climate here is mainly tropical and humidity is usually above 78%, December and February are the pleasant months.

 

Economy: 

 

The economy of Mangalore is dominated by the agricultural processing and port-related activities since it is India's ninth largest port, in terms of cargo handling. Some of the major exports from here are coffee cashew nuts. There are vital industries located here like chemicals and petroleum products also. Various banks, oiling corporations, software sector and fishing are some of the vital industries here. 

 

Demographics:

 

As per the 2001 India census, Mangalore has a population of 398,745 with a literacy rate of 83%.

 

Culture and tourism:

 

The city has various forms of dance and folk art, which are practiced in the city. These include Yakshagana, Hulivesha, Karadi Vesha, Paddanas, kolkai and various other forms of music and dance. Some of the popular Indian festivals here are Dussera, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Eid, and Ganesh Chaturthi. The Kodial Theru or Mangaluru Rathotsava, unique to the Brahmin community, is celebrated here. The Neer dosa, a variant of dosa, is native to Mangalore and the cuisine here is influenced by the South Indian cuisine and Portuguese cuisine. Some of the places of interest here are Kadri Majunath temple, Sultan Battery, St. Aloysius Church, Sri Sharavu Mahaganpathi temple, light house hill garden and many other places also.

 

Transportation:

 

The city is well connected through a network of highways and roads along with rail. The international airport here connects the city to major parts of India and the world. 

 

 

 

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