Things to Do in Mangalore (Mangaluru)

Mangaluru — still widely called Mangalore — is the port city where Karnataka's Tulu-Nadu coast meets the foot of the Western Ghats. The list of things to do in Mangalore runs across faiths and landscapes: ancient Shiva temples on the city's hills, a frescoed Jesuit chapel likened to a miniature Sistine Chapel, wide managed beaches on the Arabian Sea, and, an hour or two inland, two of Karnataka's great pilgrimage temples. Roampedia is commission-free — every place below links to its own page with directions and timings, and businesses link out to their own profiles rather than paying booking commissions.

Kadri Manjunath Temple

The Kadri Manjunath Temple sits on Kadri hill and is dedicated to Manjunatha, a form of Shiva. It is best known for its bronze idols cast in the 10th–11th centuries — above all a celebrated seated Lokeshvara, among the finest early bronzes in South India — and for a stepped tank fed by nine springs. The hill bridges Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It is a living temple, so go early, leave footwear off and dress modestly. Down in the city, the Mangaladevi Temple — the ninth-century Shakti shrine that gives Mangaluru its very name — is worth pairing with it.

Kudroli Gokarnath Temple

The Kudroli Gokarnath Temple, dedicated to Gokarnanatha (Shiva), was consecrated in 1912 at the initiative of the social reformer Narayana Guru so the Billava community could worship at a temple of its own. Brightly painted and richly decorated, it is best known for its spectacular Mangaluru Dasara, when the temple and a series of Navaratri tableaux are lit up and processions fill the streets around it.

Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple

About 29 km north of the city, the Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple stands on a small islet in the middle of the Nandini river, reached across a bridge — a striking setting of water on all sides. Dedicated to the goddess Durgaparameshwari, it is a major Tulu-Nadu pilgrimage centre and is strongly associated with Yakshagana, the region's night-long theatre, which is performed here as an offering.

St Aloysius Chapel

The St Aloysius Chapel, on the St Aloysius College campus in the centre of town, has walls and ceilings covered almost inch for inch in frescoes painted in 1899–1900 by the Italian Jesuit artist Antonio Moscheni. The richly coloured scenes from the life of Christ and the saints have earned it comparison with a miniature Sistine Chapel, and it counts among the most remarkable pieces of church art in India. It is a working chapel, so visit outside Mass, keep quiet, and follow the photography rules that protect the fragile paintwork.

Rosario Cathedral

Down by the old harbour at Bunder, the Rosario Cathedral is the seat of the Mangalore diocese. A church has stood on this site since the sixteenth century; the present domed building was rebuilt in the early twentieth century in a Roman style, and its large central dome, painted interior and riverside-quarter setting make it one of the city's landmark churches.

Panambur Beach

Panambur Beach, a broad stretch of sand just north of the city beside the New Mangalore Port, is Mangaluru's most popular and best-managed beach, with lifeguards, camel and boat rides, food stalls and an annual international kite festival. It is at its liveliest towards sunset. Swim only in the patrolled, flagged zones — the currents here are strong, so heed the lifeguards.

Tannirbhavi Beach

Across the Gurupura river from the city, Tannirbhavi Beach is a quieter, less commercial stretch backed by a tree park, and a local favourite for sunset walks. You can reach it by a short ferry from Sultan Battery — Tipu Sultan's 1784 black-stone watchtower on the riverbank — or by road around via the port. Check the last ferry back before you settle in for the evening.

Sasihithlu Beach

Further north near Mulki, Sasihithlu Beach lies where the Shambhavi and Nandini rivers join and meet the sea, leaving a sandbar and calm backwater beside the open surf. It has become the coast's main surfing spot and hosts contests, but is otherwise a quiet, uncommercial beach with few facilities — carry water, and take care where the river meets the sea, as the channel currents can be strong.

Pilikula Nisarga Dhama

For a family day out, Pilikula Nisarga Dhama at Vamanjoor on the city's eastern edge gathers a biological park (zoo), a boating lake, a botanical garden, a Tulu-Nadu heritage village and a science centre with a planetarium under one gate. Separate tickets apply for the different sections, so allow a few hours; weekday mornings are the quietest time to go.

Day-trips: Dharmasthala and the Bahubali statue

About 75 km east in Belthangady taluk, the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple is one of the most visited temples in Karnataka and unusual in make-up: a Shiva temple administered by a Jain Heggade family with Vaishnava priests, a living symbol of religious harmony. It is famous for the free meals served to every pilgrim and for the Laksha Deepotsava festival of lamps. On Ratnagiri hill just above the town stands the Bahubali statue, a roughly 39-foot monolithic granite figure of the Jain saint Gommateshwara installed in 1973, a short climb or drive from the temple. This is a strict-dress-code temple, so dress modestly and leave footwear off.

Kukke Subramanya Temple

Deeper into the Western Ghats, about 105 km from Mangaluru, the Kukke Subramanya Temple sits in forest at the foot of Kumara Parvatha on the Kumaradhara river. Dedicated to Subramanya (Kartikeya), worshipped here in the form of a serpent, it is the chief place in the region for Sarpa Samskara and Sarpa Dosha rituals, which are booked in advance and draw long queues on festival days. The town is also the base for the tough Kumara Parvatha trek. Dharmasthala and Kukke are often paired on a single circuit from the coast.

Mangalorean food

Mangalorean cooking leans on coconut, rice and the day's catch. Neer dosa — a soft, lacy steamed rice crepe — pairs with fish and chicken curries, and coastal seafood, from prawns to local fish, often turns up fried in a red-chilli-and-spice crust. Simple vegetarian meals are easy to find too, most reliably in the free meal halls at Dharmasthala and Kukke Subramanya.

Mangaluru sits at the heart of coastal Karnataka, so it pairs naturally with the towns on either side. Head up the shore to explore guide:places-to-visit-in-udupi, or string the whole coastline together with the guide:coastal-karnataka-road-trip. Every place on Roampedia is listed commission-free, with directions and timings on its own page.