Yencha Ullar is a story of Mangalore's culture, food, and pristine beaches. The local languages spoken in Mangalore are Tulu, Kannada, and Konkani, and Yencha Ullar is a term that will win you brownie points with the locals. In Tulu, it means "How are you doing?".
This article is a product of my multiple visits to Mangalore and Manipal over the years. So all of these places that I write about were not done on consecutive days.
Let me begin by taking you to a place from the 18th century built by Tipu Sultan, a watchtower called Sultan Bathery. This spot is recommended for viewing the sunset against the blue waters, but I'd suggest taking the ferry to Tannirbhavi Beach to do that. Sit on an abandoned boat or ride on a horse; Tannirbhavi is just perfect for a lousy day at the beach. We also indulged in making some beach specimen discoveries. Starfish and little crabs frequently get washed over onto the shore, and you can just while away your time watching them making multiple attempts at moving back into the waters.
Only a 15-minute drive up from the Tannirbhavi Beach is Panambur. This beach is most popular for its international kite festival that witnesses teams from all across the globe displaying their kite flying skills. You'll also spot a siege of cranes, so you're often going to find yourself looking at the skies here.
If you want to get a beautiful lighthouse view of a beach, Kapu Beach is the place to be. Even if you can't get access to the lighthouse, climb up the hilly rock for a peaceful minute by the sea. This is possibly the sandiest beach I've been to, so I'd recommend walking barefoot.
Apart from the beaches, Mangalore is also known for its many temples and Moodbidri in particular for its Jain temples. One such unique structure is the Saavira Kambada Jain temple. Literally translated, it means a thousand pillars. It looks absolutely exquisite with every pillar having an almost different carving on it. We of course began counting the pillars to test the authenticity of the name but soon gave up. Thousand is a lot to count up to! One of the reasons I like going to South Indian temples is because the prasad offered really does taste like God's food. Especially at the Kshetra Rajarajeshwari temple in Polali. The prasad is a whole meal in itself and tastes just so pure. These free meals for visitors of the temple are made through the donations of certain worshippers who perform the Tulabhara Puja. The Tulabhara Puja is very interesting - The worshipper sits on one side of the weighing scale while the other is balanced with the donation of choice. It can be rice, coconut, sugar or jaggery. All in all, the more you weigh, the more you donate.
About an hour away from Udupi is a family temple called Yerlapady Brahmalingeshwara Temple beside the Suvarna river. On the way down here, you can spot peahens, the Parijata flowers and rubber plantation. The significance of this temple and many other naga or snake god temples in Mangalore is the biennial celebration of Dakshita Pali. Although this performance is best enjoyed visually, I'll attempt at describing it for you. Two colourfully dressed men stage a striking dance with one depicting the actions of a snake charmer by calming the snake spirit embodied in the other.
If you're around Udupi, you must go to the Malpe Sea Walk, which is a long walkway and has such a pretty view of the sea. From here, you can take the ferry to St Mary's Island, which is a gorgeous collective of little islands, well known for the hexagonal shaped rocks by the sea. A remarkable initiative by the authorities of the islands is how they collect and prohibit one from taking plastic inside the islands. It can be a plastic bottle, a plastic bag or even your Tupperware. They just don't let you enter without depositing it.
When in Manipal and hungry, make sure to visit the Sizzler Ranch for some delectable food. For an authentic Mangalorean fare in Manipal, head to Hotel Sara International. Indulge in the seafood thali here that includes neer dosa, shellfish, sol kadhi, king fish fry, crab, rice, papad, dry fish chutney and a lot more. If you are in the mood for poultry, pick the lasagna and devil's chicken at this restaurant. While travelling across Mangalore, you will notice most homes have slanted red tile roofs and the Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village Museum in Manipal has preserved most of these dated structures. You can pick among various tours to walk through this place. I picked the Sadhon Stroll, in which the guys take you through different kinds of homes, which also includes a display of utensils that are traditionally used in Mangalorean homes. What makes the tour very genuine is how in every home, they play Indian classical music while you explore each nook and corner. There's a Nawab house in there, complete with colour-tinted glass windows and the Nawabi chess set. The Mangalorean Christian house has beautiful architecture, and it didn't really need any background music, for we could hear the nearby Christ Church's bells tolling when the clock turned five.
Savour on the South Canara specialties while you're in Mangalore, such as the Goli Bajje, Mangalore buns, and my personal favourite, tender coconuts. Ending this escapade on a sweet note, quite literally, don't forget to gorge on some Gudbud ice cream at the iconic Pabba's in Mangalore.
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