Summer calls for a vacation and though most of us search for a place to cool things down, I opted for Mangalore which was on my list for a while ( even though the temperatures were soaring ). And so the 3 day trip from Bangalore began with an aim to explore Mangalore and the nearby Locales. Mangalore is at a distance of approx 350 km which takes almost 7 hours to reach by road which is the mode we preferred rather than taking a flight which allowed us to explore nearby places en route

Early morning is when the trip began which meant we had to stop-over for Breakfast. A few hours drive on NH75 got us to Swathi Delicacy for a sumptuous south indian breakfast of idly, vada and dosa.  The place itself was lively with a lot of folks out on tour stopping here for a break.

After the refueling , we set off again towards Mangalore. No more diversions and we headed straight to our hotel – The Gateway Hotel , Mangalore which we reached around late noon.

Read here for a detailed review about our stay at The Gateway Hotel !      

After a lunch and a break, it was time to explore the city – 

Shree Mangaladevi Temple  had to be the first stop with the city of Mangalore being named after the presiding deity here. Wonderful architecture of this 9th century temple with a lot of  wooden structures that adds to the charm. Peaceful and Bliss place and a wonderful worship to start off our journey here. Friday is a busy day here with lot of devotee’s thronging for the Aarti in the evening !

Kadri Manjunath Temple was the next in line and its another gem of a place to be in.The entrance gives an impression that it’s a small temple but step in to see the vastness of this place. Lot of stone structures, wood work and a colourful entrance ! Temple of various deities are present with the presiding deity being Lord Manjunathaswamy. It was not very crowded and we were able to complete our visit here within 30 minutes. It’s one of the popular temples in the city and it is recommended to visit this place.

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Kudroli Gokarnath Temple was our next divine destination and it was simply mesmerizing ! Mark my words and go here after sunset when the lights are on to soak in the beauty of this place. The architecture is stunning and though modern it restores the bliss factor here. The idols are huge, the decor grand and the wonderful temple pond structured in the form of Kailash Parvat !

We reached here around dusk and got to see the temple both with the lights on and before. As night falls, this place gets covered in a blanket of gold. Highly recommended !

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Shree Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple was the final destination of the day in a city that we began to like as soon as we stepped in. The entrance welcomed us with all the wonderful decor and lights ( in pic below) probably due to some festival or event in the temple. We reached here around closing time and it was almost empty which meant we get to explore in peace and it was indeed blissful. The temple is said to be around 800 years old and a glance around does indicate to the same. Maintained well with wonderful worship of the presiding deity. There is a parking area available right outside the temple which is an advantage as well.

One of our hotel staff members suggested to visit a famous Ice Cream Parlour in the city – ‘Ideal Cafe‘ which is bang opposite this temple and so we did which we realized once we were there that it was not just an ice cream parlour. Apparently, Ideal has different branches in the city with includes cafe’s as well as ice cream parlours. 

It was almost dinner time, so it was time to explore the cafe for dinner before we grab their ice creams. Got to savour some of the local mangalorean dishes like Paneer Ghee Roast with Neer dosa along with some sandwiches and ice cream varieties. It was a very filling and satisfactory meal.

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It was time to wind up a wonderful Day 1 with new places to explore when the sun rises again.

Day 2 it was time to head out of the city and it was Udupi calling ! The temple city of Udupi is around 60 km from Mangalore but we started our Day 2 at an additional 30 km from Udupi at Anegudde.

Anegudde Vinayaka Temple is a famous temple in the city of Udupi. The presiding deity Lord Vinayaka is said to fulfill wishes of all those who visit here with devotion and prayers. The word Anegudde itself seems to have been derived from Aane which means elephant and Gudde which means hillock. The entrance is dotted with beautiful trees, huge area in front of temple for parking and other events. Architecture and decor top class. The idol is beautiful and instills a sense of calmness once inside. The drive in the hot sun is definitely tiring but worth the visit here.

Next destination, it was all but obvious to visit the famous – 

Udupi Shri Krishna Temple – Huge temple campus comprising of ashram, horse and cow sheds, dining hall, Bath complex, Accommodation complex and temple pond. This Mutt is considered as one of the holiest places in the country due to its historical significance related to Lord Krishna. The queue system is well followed and the main deity can be viewed through a window and not directly. It was around noon when we completed our worship and could already see people queuing up for the free meal that is provided daily. The place is a city in itself with a great spiritual significance and human values.

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It was time to head back to Mangalore after completing the Udupi visit and it was lunch at another of the city’s popular restaurant – Sagar Ratna which did not disappoint ! The drive in the heat was exhausting and we went back to the hotel for a break before we started to explore the beaches in the city. Though there are quite a few beaches in Mangalore, each famous for its own reason – we decided to go one of the quaint beaches in the city – 

Someshwara Beach is one of the beaches that is not commercialized as such, the reason people go here is the centuries old Someshwara temple – after which the  beach is named , the rocky terrain and the beautiful view of the beach. We reached at the time of sun set and it was a serene and beautiful visual !

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The temple stands amidst the beautiful waters dotting the sea shore from a small hillock. The stone sculptures are signs of the age and times that this temple has seen.Very peaceful and serene atmosphere with the sounds of the waves was just magic to end Day 2 !

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Day 3 , it was time to head back to Bangalore but not before visiting another important place of spiritual significance en-route which is the – 

Dharmasthala – The place is magnificent, we reached here around noon with the sun scorching and heat taking its toll, we decided to avoid the crowds a bit and get in via a special entrance. Perfect queue system with fans installed. They have laid out carpets from the vehicle drop off point to the temple entrance which helps to avoid burning our feet ! Accomodation, Anna Dhanam (free food) is the order of the day here. Clicking photographs are not allowed inside and a dress code is followed especially for men where it is requested that any sort of clothing on upper body like shirt, tshirt or vests be removed before entering the main sanctum. Be prepared to face the crowd and it could get messy at times. Don’t forget to seek blessings from the Elephant there ! 

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There is also Kukke Subrahmanya Temple enroute that one can visit which we missed due to time constraints and other factors. Do head here too if travelling by road and yes if driving down from Mangalore, do grab some snacks for on the way as there are no restaurants up until you enter Sakleshpur like we did and ended up having a late lunch at Surabhi ! 

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We reached Bangalore by night thus ending the 3 day exciting trip ! Highways are truly the heart of the country connecting paths and passion ! 

Happy Travelling !