mangalore Archives - Sampath Menon

Mangalore vlog: An evening in Mangalore

April 3, 2022March 22, 2021 by Sampath Menon

Here’s the second installment of my video series on coastal Karnataka. This time, I ride through Mangalore’s famous Car street, head over to Sultan Battery and take the boat across to Tannirbavi beach. Please watch this short video, and let me know if you like it.

Kemmannu Hanging Bridge

April 9, 2022March 14, 2021 by Sampath Menon

This is a short video blog of my recent trip to some of the hidden gems in Coastal Karnataka – Kemmannu hanging bridge, Delta beach and Udupi. I have been thinking of creating a series of short videos on Mangalore and surrounding areas – covering its beauty, culture and food. I haven’t had a chance …

Kayaking in Mangalore

June 1, 2021February 22, 2021 by Sampath Menon

It has been a few months since my Musafir stories interview podcast came out, and I must say, I am surprised at the high number of inquiries I keep getting from people about Mangalore. A surprising fact is that despite the pandemic, all the beach-houses and vacation homes here have been booked out – mainly …

Fun things to do in Mangalore

April 10, 2022November 24, 2020 by Sampath Menon

Fun things to do in Mangalore: Mangalore, or Mangaluru as it is now called, is one tiny city in Karnataka that is really undersold when it comes to tourism. I live in this little speck of a city that has everything one looks for in a tropical vacation destination – beaches, culture, food and fun. …

Street photography

July 16, 2021November 1, 2019 by Sampath Menon

As I have probably mentioned in one of my earlier posts, it was around the time that my son was born – way back in 2003 – that I actually started pursuing photography as a serious hobby. I used to take photographs prior to that too, mostly with one of those Pentax point-and-shoot cameras that …

Odhens hotel Kannur

April 9, 2022October 28, 2019 by Sampath Menon

This blog post covers Odhens hotel Kannur, K9 dog cafe Mangalore and House of Dosas Hyderabad. So life has been moving along, rather like a passenger train over the past few months with a fair share of fun, travel, work and of course, what has become a constant companion for me of late – unwanted, …

Someshwar beach, Mangalore

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 by Sampath Menon

This is Someshwar beach, Mangalore – my ‘happify me’ place in Mangalore. The giant rock on the beach offers a great vantage point to view the beach. Sitting atop that rock watching the waves crash against it making giant splashes, and the resulting gentle spray of water caressing your whole self is a joyous experience. Not to mention the …

As the days go by …

October 26, 2021August 19, 2014 by Sampath Menon

Phew! Can’t believe it is mid of August already! It has been such a happening month for me, and I hope it has been a fulfilling month for you as well? To start with, we celebrated our son’s birthday on August 14. We extended that day till beyond midnight so that the celebrations could last …

Fate, travels and festivities

May 20, 2015July 31, 2014 by Sampath Menon

It is late Thursday night as I write this. That movie I wanted to watch – The Great Gatsby – is playing on TV. I will probably miss a good portion of it while I write this but hey, that’s what re-runs are for. The window of my living room gives me a splendid, 7th …

Pilikula Heritage Village

April 10, 2022June 22, 2014 by Sampath Menon

Pilikula Heritage Village, located in Mangalore, is a 35-acre site that recreates the typical rural ambience of Dakshina Kannada region. This is a must-visit site if you are in Mangalore.

The Guthu House – a traditional house of the region, Kambala Track (Buffalo race track), Nagabana (a shrine dedicated to serpents), artisan corners, and gardens (areca, coconut) are all turning out to be great tourist attractions in Mangalore.

A trip to Pilikula Heritage village can be included in your Mangalore trip itinerary even if you are looking for adventure activities in Mangalore since there is a Zoo, a lake for boating and a water park nearby.

This Pilikula Heritage village blog is a record of my visit to the site as part of a Nikon Photo walk that was held in Mangalore. Read on.

Nikon Photo Walk to Pilikula Heritage Village

June 22, Sunday: I wake up earlier than usual, excited at the prospect of meeting fellow photographers at the Photo Walk organized by Nikon in Mangalore to Pilikula Heritage Village.

I get dressed and drive to Pilikula, an interesting area located about 15 KMs off Mangalore city that contains a fabulous zoo, a biological park and an artisan village.

I reach on time (9. 15 AM) and notice that a group had already formed at the entrance. I join them and get introduced to the group.

The organizers informed us that we would all drive to the artisan village, a.k.a, the Heritage Village and spend some time there shooting pictures.

Artisan homes in pilikula heritage village

The place is quiet and beautiful. The typical rural atmosphere of Dakshina Kannada has been recreated in Heritage Village. The dwellings of the various types of artisans reflect their work. Visitors could interact with the artisans, and could also try their hand at some of the stuff the artisans do.
Below are some photos from my Photo Walk.

Sultan Bateri: Tipu’s Watch Tower

April 18, 2022June 14, 2014 by Sampath Menon

“Mangalore was an important town…Sultan Bateri, a watchtower…built by Tipu Sultan..”

What?!

This is big! I am actually sharing real estate with one of history’s greatest, though in a different timeline! I am standing at the entrance of a queer little monument; a watchtower built of black stones by Tipu Sultan in the 1700’s called Sultan Bateri. It looks like a mini fortress, with mounting places for canyons.

The blue information board erected by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) informs me (with a minor spelling error in Tipu’s name) that this watch tower was built to contain the entrance of warships into the Gurupur river. The name Sultan Bateri evolved from ‘Sultan’s Battery’, where Battery meant firing of cannons.

But the strangest part about this historic monument is this: there is absolutely no perceptible importance/protection assigned to it by locals/authorities. It leads to the low profile life of an abandoned building!

You would probably not give it a second glance if you are ever in this area. I myself had been to this place many a time during my aimless evening rides but had never stopped to examine it carefully.

Not to mention the mindless graffiti and scribbling (well, now the whole world knows that Suresh is in love with Sini) that locals and visitors have left on this monument which has withstood the test of time.

A stairway leads you to the top of the monument from where you get a good view of the river. There is also an underground storage area (locked) that was used to store gun powder.
Here are some photos from my visit.

Best fish place in Mangalore.

September 3, 2021April 6, 2012 by Sampath Menon

‘Where do you get the best seafood around here?’ – a question we Mangaloreans get a lot. After all, they’ve come to a coastal town, and fish is what they want to eat. But then, there’s no easy answer. Yeah, we do have a few fancy restaurants that serve seafood. But the best seafood? I …

Unique resorts in Kerala: Oyster Opera resort

April 8, 2022August 15, 2011 by Sampath Menon

Oyster Opera resort is one of the unique resorts in Kerala. Located 100 kilometres south of Mangalore, in a place called Padanna in Kerala, is this beautiful little nature-themed resort called Oyster Opera. Visit this theme village bathed in natural beauty to get a spectacular view of palm-fringed islands and coastal stretches surrounded by backwaters. …

Ananthapura Lake Temple and the vegetarian crocodile

April 2, 2022July 4, 2011 by Sampath Menon

Ananthapura lake temple and the vegetarian crocodile: Yes, you read it right – a vegetarian croc. If that’s not strange, what is? Well, it’s true. There exists such a creature, and that too, in my own backyard. Well, not in my ‘backyard’ backyard, but some kilometres away from where I live. Vegetarian crocodile? It was …

Great Destinations: Mangalore, India.

June 12, 2021January 14, 2011 by Sampath Menon

Mangalore – a sleepy, coastal town in Karnataka, India is a must-see destination if you are into any or all of these: Beaches Seafood Trekking Temples, and Ice creams! Beaches: Clean and offers variety. Some are rocky n wild. Others are calm and shallow. Someshwar, Thannerbhavi and Panambur are beaches one could visit. Seafood: It’s …