Traditionally, it was an important trading port with ties with the Persian Gulf states dating back to the 14th century. With its strategic location, it was occupied by a number of dynasties and colonial rulers, namely the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. In the 18th century, its control was contested by Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan on one hand and the British on the other. Under the Mysore sultans (1763), it became a strategic ship building base, which was ceded to the British in 1799 after numerous sieges.

About Mangalore:

Mangalore is one of the fastest developing cities in India. Many multinational corporations and domestic corporations are opening their branches in Mangalore. Many reputed builders are bringing huge development projects. There is very good growth in the retail sector and many new shopping malls are being built. Infosys Technologies has 2 Development Centers in Mangalore with over 3000 employees. EDS has their India Training Center based near Mangalore Club. Corporation Bank and Karnataka Bank have their headquarters inside the city and Syndicate Bank HQ is in Manipal. Other industries are MRPL, MCF, BASF, KIOCL, Ultratech Cement Plant are some of the other industries in the city.

Mangalore is also known as the 'Cradle of Education' in Karnataka with 15 Engineering(Nitk,surathkal being the rank 1 engineering college and MIT(manipal) being second), 5 Medical, 14 Dental, 12 MBA, 11 Physiotherapy, 8 Hotel Management and 58 Graduation colleges in and around the city.

Mangalore is a blend of the new and the old! With the increasing influx of students from various states of India and different parts of the world, Mangalore has virtually become a 'melting pot' of cultures, given the various communities that make up the social framework of Mangalore: the Tuluvas (Bunts, Billawas, Brahmins,Jains,Devadigas, Mogaveeras,Chitpavan's), the Brahmins, the Konkani Catholics, the Bearys, the Goud-Saraswath Brahmins (Konkanas),Devang's(m'lore kannada and tulu) etc.

Places to Visit:

Sultan Battery: It is situated in Boloor 6 Km. away from Mangalore City Bus Stand. It was built in Black Stones by Tippu Sulthan to prevent warships to enter Gurpur river. Now the remaining part of the fort is called as Tippu's Well. It is today a deserted spot but its construction is bafflingly exquisite. Although it is a watchtower, it gives the impression of a miniature fortress with its arrangements for mounting cannons all-round.

Kadri Manjunath Temple: Kadri is another ancient historic spot in Mangalore. The Kadri Temple dating back to about 1068 A.D. with its nine tanks, its square temple, nestling at thefoot of the highest hill, draws to Mangalore hundreds of visitors annually.The Lokeshwara bronze statue of the Kadri Manjunatha Temple is tipped to be the best bronze statue in India. On top of the hill King Kundavarma Bupendra built a mutt which came to be called 'Jogimutt'. There are some stone caves on top of the hill which are known as the caves of the Pandavas .

St. Aloysius Church: It is situated 1 Km. away from Nehru Maidan Bus stand. The walls of the church are covered with the paintings of the artist Antony Moshaini of Italy. The Church was built in the year 1899-1900. St. Aloysius College Chapel, an architectural gem, comparable with the Sistine chapel in Rome, is situated on lighthouse hill. The special beauty of the chapel is the wonderful series of paintings that virtually cover every inch of the interior roof and walls executed by Bro.

Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple: Mangalore is known as a pilgrim center and boasts of many sacred temples like Sharavu, Kadri, Mangaladevi, Kudroli etc. Out of these Sri Sharavu Sharabeshwara - Sri Mahaganapathy Kshetra is an outstanding, pious center of great illustrious history of marathon 800 years.

Light House Hill-Garden: It is situated 1 Km. away from Bus Stand. One can see the beautiful sea view, sunset view and also the sailing ships and boats on the sea. Now the renovated garden looks more beautiful.

Travel to Ooty:

There are numerous bus services from Mangalore to all the nearby towns in Karnataka and Kerala. The long-distance bus services to major cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Hubli-Dharwad and Goa run along the National Highways radiating to the North (towards Goa and Mumbai) NH-17, South (towards Kerala) and the East (towards Bangalore) NH-48. Bus booking is fairly easy nowadays on internet. If you plan early you'll get budget tickets online. For online bus booking you can check different OTA's website. Search best bus service, compare and buy cheap tickets.