Silversea Luxury Cruises To NEW MANGALORE

Mangalore sightseeing

Located in Karnataka State, in the South Kannada district, Mangalore is a small seaside town known as one of the major ports of India, handling much of India's coffee and cashewnut exports. It is also now known internationally for the famous red terracotta roof tiles. This area has a rich tradition of artisans which has been perpetuated down the ages through hereditary lineage by highly skilled craftsmen who depended on their craft for their livelihood. With the advent of mechanization and modern industrial culture, most of these arts and crafts lost their commercial significance and have gradually faded into oblivion. The younger generation has migrated to the cities and taken to other more lucrative professions. As you depart the pier you'll drive past some of the main highlights of the city - the Hoysala style Gorakhnath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva; the Town Hall; a local fish market selling the day's catch and a vegetable market selling the produce.

Artisan Village and shopping

In order to protect and preserve this age-old culture, a model Artisan Village has been created, depicting these unique professions in their traditional settings. This includes a production and training centre where people are trained in the relevant skills and provided with marketing facilities to ensure a survival of their profession. Seen from atop the hill, the artisan village resembles a true tribal village as if it is right out of a film setting, the smithy chugging fumes, a distant pounding of the rice, creaking and grinding sound of the mill and the clutter of carpentry. But take a closer look and you will be astonished at the quality of the goods they make and how much wealth it has created for the tribals of the surrounding villages. The village comprises several traditional cottages with full-fledged demonstration facilities in typical rural settings. Each cottage is dedicated to one of the above arts and crafts and a daily demonstration is given for visitors. You can take home a souvenir, as the produce is for sale!

Guthu House and Arts and crafts demonstrations

Some of the arts and crafts practiced here include making and weaving furniture out of cane; extracting gingelly (or sesame) oil in a traditional way seen nowhere else - fresh seeds are put in a wooden tank and ground by a bullock cart circling the tank; 'beating' rice or paddy into light dry flakes, which is popular all over India to make a variety of snacks and breakfast dishes; pottery, carpentry, blacksmithy, wood and stone carving, fish net weaving and jasmine culture amongst a few others. You'll also see a Guthu House, the traditional manor house of the coastal landlords. The spacious house too has clearly demarcated areas for various functions and rituals. Such houses have become a rarity now due to the high costs involved and only the rich landlords can afford to build and maintain this type of dwelling. The design is adapted to withstand extremities of climate marked by cycles of hot summers and torrential rainfall. Only traditional artisans who are well versed in this type of work are capable of building such a house. The construction materials used primarily comprise of Hard Wood, Stone and Clay … and the famous red Mangalore tiles. The woodwork comprising ceiling, doors/windows and intricately carved pillars are a tribute to the skill of the carpenters.

Mangalore - known as Mangaluru in the local language, was once a famous port, known in the 6th century as a major source of pepper. It was mentioned in writings of the 14th century Arab traveller Ibn Batuta, who noted its trade in pepper and ginger, and the presence of merchants from Persia and Yemen. Perhaps some of its good luck is due to its name, which comes from Mangladevi, the Goddess of Fortune.

Mangalore and Kadri Manjunath Temple

Your first stop will be at the 11th century Kadri Manjunath Temple, an important centre for the worship of Lord Shiva (one of the holy Hindu trinity), and the Natha-Pantha cult - an outgrowth of Hinduism. Enshrined in the unusual square and towered sanctuary are a number of superb bronzes. There is also a Shiva lingam that is believed to have the power to fulfil a wish made while pouring water on it. The main temple is surrounded by nine water tanks, and a number of smaller shrines dedicated to other gods, including Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed god who is the remover of obstacles, and the frightening goddess Durga. The temple also has traces of Buddhist influence, including a life-sized, three-faced, six-armed figure of a seated Bodhisattva with enamelled eyes and an intricately carved crown. Every person who comes here, irrespective of caste or creed, is welcomed and given a free meal.

St. Aloysius Chapel and Gorakhnath Temple Next visit the Romanesque-style St. Aloysius Chapel on Lighthouse Hill, sometimes referred to as the Sistine Chapel of South India. Its 19th century frescoes, painted by the Italian-trained Jesuit priest Moscheni, envelope the walls and ceilings in Biblical scenes. Whether or not it is due to his influence, the town does have a Roman Catholic population of about 20%, extraordinarily high for an Indian city.

Your last stop is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Hoysala style Gorakhnath Temple was built by a Hindu businessman for the non-Brahmins of Mangalore, who were denied entry to Brahmin Temples. After your tour of the temple you will return to the pier.

Explore New Mangalore at your leisure during your full-day (8-Hour) sightseeing tour via private car. Customize your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned car and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore New Mangalore at your leisure during your half-day (4-Hour) sightseeing tour via private car. Customize your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned car and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore New Mangalore at your leisure during your full-day (8-Hour) sightseeing tour via private van. Customize your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned van and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore New Mangalore at your leisure during your half-day (4-Hour) sightseeing tour via private van. Customize your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned van and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Moodabidri and Chandranatha Basti 1000 Pillar Temple

Moodabidri is a Jain holy city, home to 18 temples, although the Jains are only a tiny minority of the local population. The largest of the temples is the 15th century Chandranatha Basti containing 1,000 pillars, carved in astonishingly fine detail - no two are alike. It also has a valuable collection of metal and jewel-encrusted images of Jain prophets.

At the entrance is the huge monolithic pillar called the "Manasthambha", believed to guard the temple and meant to remind all who enter that they must leave their egos at the door, in order to be received by the Almighty once inside.

Jainism began in the same border region of India and Nepal as Buddhism, and at about the same time. The essence of this belief system is that all life is sacred, and that every living entity, even the smallest insect, has within it an indestructible and immortal soul. For this reason they are strict vegetarians. The value Jains place on doing no harm has contributed to their importance in business, as they regard nearly all occupations except banking and commerce as "violent".

Soan farm and refreshments

Next you can pay homage to Mother Nature's bounty as you encounter the heady scents of Dr. Soan's farm. This hundred-acre spread is home to a variety of spices - pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg; paddy fields (rice), bamboo (one particular species is believed to grow a foot a day), pineapple (the major cash crop), bananas, and a variety of other fruits. If the aromas of the spices and tastes of the fruit give you an appetite it is just as well, as a glass of fresh pineapple juice will be served during your stay.

Thereafter you return to the pier to join the ship.