Languages Spoken:
Tulu, Konkani, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
Named after the goddess Mangaladevi, Mangalore is the administrative headquarters of the district of South Kannada. Formerly known as the Princely state of Mysore, it also one of the major ports of India. Lying on the backwaters formed by the Netravati and Gurpur rivers, it has long been a roadstead along the Malabar Coast. Mangalore district is a panorama of palm-fringed beaches, lush green fields and enchanting forests. It is sheltered by the soaring western ghats on the east and the mighty Arabian sea roaring along its western shores.
Engaged in Persian Gulf trade in the 14th century, Mangalore was occupied by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. In the 18th century Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan on one hand and the British on the other contested its control. Under the Mysore sultans (1763) it became a strategic shipbuilding base, which was ceded to the British in 1799 after numerous sieges.
The modern port 10 km north of the town is now India's ninth largest cargo handling port. It has several famous pilgrim centres. The district is a leader in more than one-way in banking, private entrepreneur-ship and in general awareness amongst people. The city of Mangalore has given birth to four nationalised banks apart from general insurance companies.
