Interesting Places to See

Points of Interest | Travel Places | Tour to Mangalore
Mangalore city has many places of interest to visit, enjoy and get entertained. Pilikula Nisargadhama resort is a must visit place for any tourist. The foreign tourists often visit places like Gokarnanatha temple at Kudroli, St. Aloysius Chapel on the light house hill, Mangaladevi temple at Bolar, cashew processing units, Monolithic statue of lord Bahubali which is at Karkala, Soans farm at Belvai and the famous 15th century thousand pillared Jain Basadi at Moodabidri. Shopping malls such as Bharath Mall, City Centre and Forum Mall are good for purchasing as well as for the entertainment. All three malls have multiplexes to watch movies. Mangalore tourism within and around the city is yet to get the full attention of visitors. Cruise ships entering the port city have made the dream come true.

St. Aloysius Chapel: It is located in the centre of the city and on the light house hill. One of the top tourist attractions for the foreigners who visit Mangaluru. It is a christian chapel built by Jesuit missionaries in the year 1899 -1900. Br. Antonio Moscheni, the Italian Jesuit painted the interiors of the chapel in 1899 during Mangalore mission 1878. Paintings are very colorful and attractive. It was built in the premises of Aloysius college which was founded in 1880. The life of Aloysius Gonzaga is depicted in the central row of paintings to whom the college and chapel is dedicated. Aloysius college is one of the oldest colleges of south India.
St. Aloysius Chapel
Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple: It is situated at Kudroli 1.5km from the city. The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva with goddess Annapoorneshwari, Lord ganesh, Karthikeya, Shaniswara and Navagraha shrines around the circumambulatory path. Lord Krishna’s shrine and Hanuman temple are nearby. The temple was established by Sri Narayana Guru who was from Kerala state. He was a great reformer, philosopher and a saint. The land on which the temple is built was earlier used by King Tipu Sultan to graze his royal horses.  Hence the name Kudre-vali, which over the years came to be known as Kudroli. Tel: +91 824 2495740.

Kadri Manjunatha Temple: The temple of lord Manjunatha is situated on the hills of Kadri 4km away from city. Shiva temple is visited by locals on Mondays. It is a very popular temple in the region. It was known as Kadarika Vihara in the ancient times. The temple dates back to 968 AD. It is said to be built during the 10th or 11th century.  It was converted to a complete stone structure during the 14th century. It has nine tanks meant for a holy dip on the upper area within the temple premises. Thousands of devotees visit the temple during the annual car festival and Shivarathri. The idol of Lord Manjunathaswamy installed in the temple is called as the oldest of the south Indian temples. Goddess Durga, lord Ganesh and Ayyappa shrines are within the premises. Tel: +91 824 2214176.

Sri Mangaladevi Temple: One of the favorite hotspots to visit is Mangaladevi. Mahatobhara Mangaladevi temple is situated at Bolar 3km southwest of the city. The word Mangalore itself is derived from the name of goddess who is main deity of the temple. Kerala people call the city name as Mangalapuram. The Goddess Mangaladevi is worshiped in the form of Shakti. The car festival is celebrated during Navaratri (October/November). Tel: +91 824 2415476.
mangaladevi temple bolar
Goddess Mangaladevi
Pilikula Nisargadhama and Resort: It is a weekend getaway and locals enjoy to visit Pilikula which is near Moodushedde. It has a golf course, heritage village, Manasa water park, zoo, beautiful botanical garden, jungle lodges, theme park and lake. For children, aqua zorbing, boating, the lush green park and water park provide full entertainment. There is an area just to conserve the threatened plants and protect the precious medicinal herbs. South Kanara culture is depicted in the heritage village.

Explore the Interesting Facts about the City and the Festivals Celebrated all round the year.

City Centre Mall, The Forum Fiza Mall and Bharath Mall: All the 3 Malls - City Centre, The Forum Fiza and Bharath Mall are located in the heart of the city. City Centre is on K.S.Rao Road, The Forum Fiza Mall is on Pandeshwar Road, Bharath Mall is near KSRTC bus stand located at Bejai. But maximum no. of visitors go to City Centre which is entertaining and has lot of international brands in it. KFC, Pizza Hut, Mc Donald's and Savoury restaurant are attracting locals and outsiders. All the 3 Malls have Multiplexes in them. Locals enjoy watching newly released movies at the weekends, in these Multiplexes.

Ideal Ice Cream and Ideal Cafe: Very popular with Mangaloreans and tourists who visit the place. Ideal Cafe is located on Sharavu Ganapathi temple road near the City Centre. Ideal ice cream restaurant is located nearby on GHS Road. Pabba's Ideal ice cream parlour is located at Lalbagh, Mangaluru. Ideal cafe has vegetarian local tasty food. 

Sasihithlu and Mulki for Surfing: Karnataka Surfing festival was held at Sasihithlu beach. Mantra Surf Club is located at Mulki nearby. Mangalore to Mulki distance is 23 Km. Lot of people visit these beaches for surfing during summer and weekends.

Manjalpade: Manjal pade in tulu language means Yellow Stone. It is a lush green picnic spot just 3km from Bondel Womens Polytechnic bus stop. Many rare species of birds are seen in the Manjalpade area. Photographers often visit the place. There is a small waterfall gracefully flowing in the dense forest. Moodushedde rail bridge is seen above the water stream. It is a special weekend getaway spot for the Mangaloreans.

Manjalpade near Moodushedde

Seemanthi Bai memorial Government Museum: It is located in Bejai. It is named after the mother of a military officer, Colonel V.R. Mirajkar, who was in the army during the Bristish colonial rule. It is the only museum in the city. It links modern Indian history to the 16th century. It provides great knowledge about Indian history, culture and heritage.

Sultan Bathery and Tannirubavi beach: It is located in Boloor which is 4km from the city. Bathery is a watch tower built during the reign of Tipu Sultan. The soldiers watched from Bathery tower and prevented enemy warships that dared to enter into the Gurpur River. It is a marvelous construction which has a shape of small fortress and apertures for firing the cannons. It was erected with black stones.  From the top of the Sultan Bathery one can enjoy the sunset and boats moving around in the river. After crossing the river there is a small island from where the Tannirubavi beach is visited.
 
Kadri Park: It is a garden which is 5km from the city, near the studio of All India Radio. It is located on the Kadri hills. It is the largest park within city limits of Mangalore. The park has beautiful vast gardens along with a toy train. It is a nice place to visit during weekends. A good picnic spot where couples, children, young and old play enjoy within the lush greenery.
Tagore Park on light house hill
Tagore Park on Light House Hill
Someshwara Beach: It is situated near Ullal 10km to the south of Mangaluru. Mangaloreans visit the beach on weekends for enjoyment and swimming activities. The beach is well known for the large rocks called Rudra Shile. The Somanath temple nearby was constructed during the rule of the famous queen Abbakka Devi. Temple is situated in the northern side of the beach.

Monolith statue of Bahubali: Tall monolith statue of Gomateshwara also known as Bahubali is nearby at Karkala, Venur and Dharmasthala. Of course, the tallest one can be seen at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district. Lord Bahubali is worshiped by the Jain community. He stands nude and tall over the top of the hill.

The statue at Karkala is 42ft in height, believed to have been built around 1432 AD. It is on the hill and approached by a number of rock-cut steps. A mighty festival known as Mahamastakabhisheka takes place every 12 years. Sacred bathing of the statue with saffron paste, milk and water is done by pouring them from the top. During Mahamastakabhisheka period thousands of Jain devotes visit the place to carry out the rituals.
Gomateshwara or Bahubali monolith at Karkala
Gomateshwara monolith in Karkala
King Bharatha and Bahubali were brothers. Once Bharatha set on a campaign to become emperor. He defeated almost all the kings. He followed the divine chakra for this campaign. At last it stood at the entrance of Bahubali and did not move a bit. It was a sign to alert Bharatha that he should win over Bahubali. Then both of them fought without the help of army. After the brother king Bharatha was defeated in the fight that took place, he felt that there was nothing left in this material life. He sacrificed everything and went on to meditate without a single piece of cloth over his body. He stood there amidst the harsh environment. The ant-hills had started growing all over his body but he stood still until he got enlightenment. His followers are called Digambaras.

Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple Kateel: It is situated 29km from the city. The temple at Kateel is dedicated to Goddess Durga Parameshwari. It is situated in the islet where sacred river Nandini flows. The river embraces almost all around the lower layer of the temple. Navaratri, Vasantha pooja and Car festival are the celebrations but free food is offered to thousands of devotees everyday.Tel: +91 824 2200361.

Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple: Sri Dharmasthala Manjunathaswamy temple is one of the sacred places in south India. It is linked with Kadri Manjunatha temple in the myths. It is a famous pilgrim centre situated about 75km from Mangalore. Every visitor is fed free of charge as charity is a way of life, extended to all without discrimination in Dharmasthala. During Laksha Deepotsava festival, one lakh clay oil lamps are lit around its premises. Literacy and religious discourses are held. Manjusha museum, park and gomateshwara hill are the other tourist attractions. Ram Mandir is a beautiful temple located on the outskirts of Dharmasthala. It is located on the way to Belthangady, which is 3.5km from the Majunathaswamy temple. The two floors within the Ram temple have marble statues of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. It was built by Nithyananda swami in the year 2003. The swami is a spiritual and yoga guru who has many followers. Thousands of devotees arrive at the Mandir every year and meditate in the calm atmosphere. Tel: +91 08246 277121. 
 
Kukke Subramanya: It is about a 100km from the city and can be easily reached by buses and taxis. Kukke Subramanya, Kudupu and Manjeshwar in Kerala state are famous for the places totally dedicated to the cobra or serpent god. Most of the south kanara hindus visit Kudupu and Subramanya. Subramanya is the pilgrimage centre having a big temple and people from all over India visit the place. It is believed to be one of the powerful and sacred temples that give relief from all type of doshas. Dosha is the problem faced by a human being by killing or pelting stone at a divine cobra snake. It might be the sin of parents or ancestors but sometimes the person who is innocent will be suffering. Ashlesha bali is performed at this place to get rid of these problems. Great cricketer Sachin Tendulkar had performed Ashlesha bali in the Subramanya temple to come out of the same problem, a few years back. Subramanya lies amidst the beauty of nature in the Sullia Taluk of south Kanara with a sanctity which very few places can boast of. It is one of the pristine pilgrimage locations in India. Tel: +91 08257-281700.
Kukke Subramanya
Udupi District: The district came into existance on 1997 August. Udupi district consists of three taluks namely Udupi, Karkala and Kundapura. The three taluks got separated from South Kanara district when the Udupi district was formed. Udupi is one of the oldest educational centers. It is 60km away from Mangalore. It is also one of the pilgrim centers for Hindus. Krishna temple is famous for its Paryaya and Vitlapindi festivals. According to Hindus, the lord Krishna’s idol facing east turned towards the west when Kanakadasa was not allowed to enter the temple. Kanakadasa was a great devotee and social reformer who lived in the 16th century. The priests had not allowed him as he was of lower caste. Then, the wall on the western side broke down and fell as he sang in great devotion from where he stood. A small window still exists by the name Kanakana Kindi.

Malpe beach and St. Mary’s island are the other attractions in Udupi. The administrative headquarters of Udupi district is Udupi. Population as per census 2011 was 11,77,908 (males 5,62,876 Female 6,15,012) of which 18.55% were urban. The primary languages of Udupi District are the Tulu, Kannda and Konkani where as English and Hindi is also known to many. It has literacy rate of 92%, which is higher when compared to other districts of Karnataka.

Kaup Beach: The beach is located 42km from Mangalore and 12km south of Udupi. Beach has a light house 100 feet high that stands tall on the black rocks. The beach with beauty is a photographer’s paradise. Cool blue water of the sea and white sand gives a soothing effect to visitors.
 
Kemmangundi: The beautiful hill station is at a height of 1,434metres above the sea level and is reachable from Belthangady. It is located in Tarikere taluk of Chikmagalur district. Newly married couples visit the place to enjoy their honeymoon. It is a cool place surrounded by Baba Budangiri mountain range. The wonderful gardens and the water streams that flow along the hills make it a picturesque spot. It takes 4 hours and 45 minutes to reach the hill station from Mangalore. Only 205km if taken the state highway 64 route.

Kollur Mookambika Temple: Distance from Mangalore is 128km. Shiva and Shakthi are in the form of a jyotirlinga at the goddess Mookambika temple in Kollur. The goddess is called so because she is a slayer of demon by name Mookasura. The panchaloha (five element mixed metal) image of the Goddess on sri chakra has been consecrated by Adi Shankaracharya. According to legend, Adi Shankara performed penance on the Kodachadri hills. Goddess appeared to grant him his wish. He wanted the goddess to stay permanently at a place in Kerala. But goddess told him that she would follow him until he moved ahead without stopping and looking at her. At a place in today’s Kollur Shankara could not hear the sound of anklets of goddess following him. He turned and saw if she was still following. He could not keep up the word and goddess stood there permanently in the form of lingam.

Mookambika temple is one of the famous temples in south India. So the transport facility to the place is available from anywhere in the state. Many tour operators have included the visit to Kollur temple in their conducted package tour programs. Kodachadri hills nearby is a good place for camp fire and trekking. Mookambika wildlife sanctuary nearby is aided by the World Wildlife Fund. An endangered species called Lion tailed macaque is seen in the sanctuary. The forest is spread all along the Kundapur-Kollur-Shimoga road. It is generally off the tourist map. Tel: +91 08254-258221.


Lakshadweep: It is at a distance of 144 nautical miles from New Mangalore Port. Lakshadweep island travel costs only Rs.100 from Mangaluru port. The ten islands of Lakshadweep located in the Arabian Sea are well populated. The 10 islands are Kadamatta, Amesa, Agathi, Kavaratti, Kalloni, Pilikoyi, Androth, Mithra, Kiltan and Chetla. Except fish and coconut, all the other commodities are to be purchased by islanders from outside. At present they purchase all the goods from Mangalore in Karnataka state and Kochi located in the Kerala state. Goods are transported to Lakshadweep from Bunder which is the city's old harbor. Silt has made the movement of cargo ships difficult in the region.

The islets are given the name Golden Islands for their picturesque beauty. More passenger ships are needed to connect these islets for the improvement of tourism at this place. Before planning a visit to Lakshadweep, obtaining permission from the related office at Kochi is necessary. Until a separate office is started in the city for the purpose, direct to and fro movement of passengers is not easy.

Waterfalls Tour:

  • Adyar falls 14km away at Valachil, Adyar which is on the outskirts of Mangaluru.
  • Abbey falls located 8km from Madikeri and 144km from Mangaluru is a cool place.
  • Manjalpade located 3km from Bondel has a small waterfall in the forest.
  • Sita falls is in Someshwar wild life sanctuary near Hebri 87km away and the sanctuary is located in Udupi district.
  • Alekan falls is on the way to Kottigehara from Charmadi village which is 99km away.
  • Anadka falls is in Didupe village of Belthangady taluk 73km away.
  • Arishinagundi or Arasinamakki falls is in Udupi district near Kollur town 132km away.
  • Bandaje Arbi falls is in Bandaje village of Belthangady taluk 91km away. It lies in the Charmadi ghat section.
  • Devaragundi falls is near Thodikana of Sullia taluk 102km away.
  • Dondole falls is in Kakkinje village near Charmadi of Belthangady taluk 96km away.
  • Ermayee falls is in Didupe village of Belthangady taluk 78km away.
  • Kallarabhi falls is near Charmadi village of Belthangady taluk 94km away.
  • Kannikai falls is in Gundya – Shiradi village of Belthangady taluk 101km away.
  • Koosalli or goodanagundi falls is near Shiroor of Kundapur taluk 145km away.
  • Kudumari, Chaktikal or Belligundi falls is in Chaktikal village near Shiroor of Udupi district 140km away.
  • Jog falls or Gerusoppa falls is in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district and the distance is 216km from Mangalore.
Trekking: Kodachadri hills near Kollur, Kumara Parvat near Kukke Subramanya, Yedakumeri near Sakleshpur are nearby hotspots meant for trekking. Water bottles, good shoes and camping tents are a must while trekking at these places.

FAQs: 1. Where is Pilikula Nisargadhama? Where is the water park in Mangaluru?
Which is the best amusement park in Mangalore?
Pilikula is located at Moodushedde. Distance from Mangaluru is 9km. It takes 20 minutes to reach via Vamanjoor-Bondel Road or via the Bajpe Road. It has lot of entertainment waiting for visitors who want to enjoy. Manasa water park, Golf Club, Children's park, Lake Garden, Boating, Botanical Garden, Heritage Village, Jungle Lodges and Ayurvedic Centre.

2. Which is the best park to visit in Mangaluru city? 
Kadri Park near Circuit House is the best park for enjoyment. It has a colorful dancing musical fountain which is good to see in the evening. Kids train is under repair and will start soon.

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