“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city”. At Arkieva, we have three offices worldwide. Arkieva expanded its global presence by looking East in September 2013 and opening office at Mangalore, a small city on the west coast of the southern state of Karnataka, India.
Welcome to our city! We call it Mangaluru in Kannada, Mangalore in English, Kudla in Tulu, Kodiyala in Konkani, Mykal in Beary and Mangalapuram in Malayalam! Perhaps no other city in India (and perhaps in the world) has so many names in so many languages. This shows Mangalore is a true melting pot of many cultures. The urban population of Mangalore is about 400,000.
Mangalore, which derives its name from a local Hindu goddess Mangaladevi, has a rich historical past. The history of Mangalore dates back to mythological times and is accounted to, as part of Parashurama Shristi. Mangalore has been ruled by a number of leaders like the Kadambas and Vira Harihararaya II. It was later conquered by the Portuguese, who lost it to King Hyder Ali. Until India’s Independence, Mangalore remained under British rule, who had by defeated Tippu Sulthan. In 1956, Mangalore became part of the Indian state of Karnataka.
Mangalore is sandwiched between the hills of Westerns Ghats on the east and the vast Arabian sea on the west. It is also circled by the backwaters of Netravati and Gurupura rivers which joins the Arabian Sea around Mangalore. This interesting geography gives Mangalore the most rainfall among all Urban centres in India. Mangalore stands out for its beaches scattered for 320 km along the outskirts of the city. Panambur Port, Someshwar, Ullal, Suratkal and Tanniru Bhavi are the most popular beaches in the enormous Arabian Sea.
Mangalore is one of the few cities in India that is connected by all the 4 modes of transportation. The distance between Mangalore to Bangalore (the Silicon Valley of India) is 356 kms. Mangalore to Goa (The party place and beaches paradise) is 358 km. Coorg (Famous Hill station) is 150.8 km and the backwaters of Kerala (Gods own county) is about 400Kms. The famous temple town of Udupi is about 60 kms and the university town of Manipal is about 66 kms.
Mangalore is one of the biggest educational hubs in India with a literacy rate of over 90%. This is due to a strong foundation of primary education laid by forefathers. There are about 20 engineering colleges, 10 medical colleges and a number of undergraduate and graduate colleges in and around Mangalore. The people of Mangalore are very entrepreneurial; they are known for fishing, tiles manufacturing, cashew, printing, agriculture, hotel management, trading and banking. Five of the top 25 banks of India were founded in the Mangalore area. In the last couple of years Mangalore has become one of the hottest destinations for IT start-ups.
Mangalore is easily accessible to some of the historical, beautiful and famous temples of the region. Udupi, Darmasthala, Subramanya, Karkala, Kundapura, Kollur and Murdeshwara are just a few of the temple towns. Mangalore also has some of the most beautiful churches and Mosques. Around Mangalore you will also find really good beach resorts, forest resorts, back water resorts and hill resorts where you can relax as close to nature as possible.
Mangalore is the place to be for foodies, beach lovers and ice cream lovers. Mangalore is one of the fastest developing cities in India and has been selected as one of the “smart cities” to be developed under the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of India’s Smart City Mission. Mangalore is also rated as one of the cleanest cities in India.
Being the coastal beauty of Karnataka, Mangalorean cuisine is largely influenced by South Indian cuisine with several cuisines being unique to the diverse communities (Tuluvas, Konkanis, Christians, Muslims, Malayalees, Brahmins etc) of the region. Coconut and curry leaves are common ingredients to most Mangalorean Curry, as are ginger, garlic and chili. Mangalorean fish dishes are very popular and unique. If you go to a fish restaurant you can find the same fish being prepared in different styles. In general, the Mangalorean recipes are quite spicy and fresh coconut is an integral part of these recipes. It is believed that famous south Indian breakfast dishes Idli and Dosa were invented in the Mangalore area ages back.
Kambla or Buffalo races held in December is a unique festival in Mangalore. When the Paddy fields are full of water, the Buffalo are brought sleek and shining for this very important event in the year’s calendar. Water and mud spraying all over, the Buffalo charge off towards the finish line. For anybody who has had these huge creatures take hours to amble out of the way of their car, a surprise waits! One of the famous folk dances of India, Yakshaghana has its roots in the Mangalore area. It is a treat to your eyes to see those performances.
This was just some information about our Mangalore city. So, pack your bags and head to Mangalore, to unwind at the sea shore, enjoy the yummy coastal cuisine and experience the rich culture. We are sure you will have a wonderful experience.
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