Culture of Mangalore
Encyclopedia
Mangalore is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...

: Kudla, ಕುಡ್ಲ; Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...

: ಮಂಗಳೂರು, Mangalūru; Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...

: Kodial, ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್; Beary
Beary bashe
Beary bashe is a dialect mainly spoken by the Muslim communities of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka known as Bearys and a small number of Hindus in the District of Kasargod in Kerala state....

: Maikala, ಮೈಕಾಲ) is the chief port city of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

. A resident of Mangalore is known as a Mangalorean in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, Kudladaru in Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...

, Kodialgharano in Catholic Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...

, Kodyalkar in Konkani Language
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...

 and Manglurnavaru in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...

, Maikaaltanga in Beary bashe
Beary bashe
Beary bashe is a dialect mainly spoken by the Muslim communities of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka known as Bearys and a small number of Hindus in the District of Kasargod in Kerala state....

.

Multiculturalism

Mangalore is a multicultural potpouri with people from diverse religious, linguistic, migratory classifications.

Konkani Culture

There are about 22 ethnic Konkani communities live in Mangalore including Goud Saraswat Brahmin, Mangalorean Catholics, Daivajna Brahmins, Kudmi, Kharvi
Kharvi
Kharvi and Gabit are fishermen and boatman communities found in Goa and the rest of the Konkan.They speak the Konkani language. They were once employed in the navy of Shivaji....

, Gudigar
Gudigar
Gudigar or Gudigara are a group of people residing in the state of Karnataka, India. Their traditional profession was to build temples and places of worship. The skills were passed on only in the families of Gudigaras.- External links :*...

, Navayats etc. The communities speak dialects of Konkani Language
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...

. Religious Festivals like Car Festivals of various Konkani Temples, Shigmo of Kudmi Community, Santhmarie of Catholics keep alive Konkani Cultural ethos.

The World Konkani Centre
World Konkani Centre
World Konkani Centre Konkani: विश्व कोंकणी केंद्र Kannada:ವಿಶ್ವ ಕೊಂಕಣಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ was founded by Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Prathistan Konkani: कोंकणी भास आनी संस्कृति प्रतिष्टान/ಕೊಂಕಣಿ ಭಾಸ್ ಆನಿ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಟಾನ್ at Konkani Gaon, Shakti Nagar, Mangalore "to serve as a nodal agency for the...

, built on a 3 Acre plot called Konkani Gaon (Konkani Village) at Shakti Nagar, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...

 was inaugurated on 17 January 2009 “to serve as a nodal agency for the preservation and overall development of Konkani language, art and culture involving all the Konkani people the world over.”

Infrastructure

The Srimanthi Bai Museum, which is located at Bejai, is the only museum of Mangalore. The Bibliophile's Paradise, a hi-tech public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...

 run by the Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank is an India-based banking company based in Mangalore, India. The bank was founded with an initial capital of Rs. 5000 , and first day’s canvassed resources of less than one USD 1, has currently 12,724 full time employees, and operates from several branches in India.The Bank is a...

, is located at Mannagudda. The Mangala Stadium, which is the only full-fledged stadium in Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...

, is located in Mangalore.

Practices

The Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...

 is a night-long dance and drama performance practiced in Mangalore. The Hulivesha
Hulivesha
Hulivesha "Tiger Masque" is a folk dance unique to the Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. Hulivēṣa is performed during Navratri to honour the goddess Sharada - an aspect of Saraswati whose favoured animal is the tiger...

(Tiger dance) is a folk dance unique to this area, which is performed during Dasara and Krishna Janmashtami. Karadi Vesha (Bear Dance) is performed during Dasara in Mangalore.
Bhuta Kola or spirit worship, is practised here. Kambala
Kambala
Kambaḷa is a traditional water buffalo race in muddy waters held from December until March. It is the native sport of Tulu Nadu region of South India.-Format :...

or buffalo race is conducted in water filled paddy fields. Korikatta (Cockfight
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....

) is another favourite sport for the people. Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane is a form of snake worship which, along with Bhuta Kola, is one of the unique traditions prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Kasaragod alternatively known as Tulu Nadu- Origin of Nagaradhane :...

or Snake worship is practised in the city according to the popular belief of the Naga Devatha
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...

to go underground and guard the species on the top.

Pad'danas (Oral Epics) which are ballad-like folk epics narrated in Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...

 are sung by the community of impersonators together with the rhythmic beats. Some of the popular Beary
Beary
The Beary is a small Muslim community concentrated mostly in coastal South Kanara , in the district of Karnataka, a south Indian state. It is an ethnic society, having its own unique traditions and distinct cultural identity...

 songs are kolkai (sung during the play of kolata), unjal pat (sung while putting a child to cradle), moilanji pat and oppune pat (sung at weddings). The Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...

ic Procession is an annual Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 religious procession led on the first Sunday of the New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....

 of the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...

.

Festivals

The Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival...

 festival is celebrated every year by erecting statues, worshipping them and immersing them in water bodies. Kodial Theru or Mangaluru Rathotsava (Mangalore Car Festival) is one of the major festivals of the GSB community, which celebrates the car festival of the Sri Venkatramana Temple. Monti Fest is one of the major festivals of the Mangalorean Catholic community, celebrating the Nativity feast and the blessing of new crops. The Jain Milan, a committee of the Jain
Jain community
The Jains in India have been the last direct representatives of the Shramana tradition in India. They follow Jainism, as the dharma taught by the 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Mahavira.-Cultural influence:...

 families of Mangalore, organise the Jain Food Festival annually with a view to bring together all the members of the Jain community. People of all faiths participate in the Mosaru Kudike, which is a part of the celebrations to mark the Krishna Janmashtami festival. Annual festivals are promoted during summer each year, to promote Karavali Utsav and Kudlostava which encourages the local cultural events. In 2006, the Tulu film festival was organized in Mangalore.

Cuisine

Mangalorean cuisine is largely influenced by South Indian cuisine
South Indian cuisine
South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.-Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines":...

. Mangalorean curry uses a lot of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

 and curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...

 leaves. Ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....

, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...

 and chili
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...

 is also used in curry. Mangalorean fish curry is known for its taste in the whole of Canara
Canara
Canara can refer to:* Kanara – a region in Karnataka, India* Ovidiu – a town in Constanţa County, Romania...

. Dishes of the Tulu
Tuluva
The Tuluva -Geographic Distribution :Though most of the Tuluva population is found in the Tulu Nadu region, migrant poplulations are found the world over. In recent times, the first period of migration started at the beginning of the 20th century to places such as Mumbai and Chennai and other...

 community include Kori Rotti
Kori Rotti
Kori rotti is a popular spicy Coastal Karnataka dish, a combination of red-chili based chicken curry and crisp dry wafers made from boiled rice...

, Bangude Pulimunchi, Beeja-Manoli Upkari, Neer dosa
Neer dosa
Neer dosa literally meaning Water dosa is a crepe prepared from rice batter. It is light type of dosa, an Indian dish. Neer dosa is a delicacy from Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. 'Neer' is the word for water in Tulu and a few other Indian languages.-Basic cooking method:Rice is soaked in water for...

, Boothai Gasi, Kadabu, and Patrode
Patrode
Patrode is a dish made in the Konkan region of the western coast of India. It is a popular dish for festive occasions among Konkanis. Regional variations of Patrode are Aluwadi made by the Marathis and Patra made by the Gujaratis, both of which are normally deep fried rather than steamed as in the...

. The Konkani community has its specialities that include Daali thoy, beebe-upkari (cashew based), val val, avnas ambe sasam, Kadgi chakko. The Sanna-Dukra Maas (Sanna – idli fluffed with toddy or yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...

; Dukra Maas – Pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

) of the Mangalorean Catholics and the Mutton Biryani
Biryani
Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā which means "fried" or "roasted"....

 of the Mangalorean Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

s are well-known dishes. An assortment of pickles
Pickled cucumber
A pickled cucumber is a cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solution and left to ferment for a period of time, by either immersing the cucumbers in an acidic solution or through souring by lacto-fermentation.-Gherkin:A gherkin is not only...

 like happala, sandige and puli munchi are unique to Mangalore. Khali (toddy
Hot toddy
A hot toddy is a mixed drink, usually including alcohol, that is served hot. Hot toddies are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather...

), a country liquor
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...

 prepared from the coconut flower's sap is a well-known liquor of Mangalore. The vegetarian cuisine is same as Udupi cuisine
Udupi cuisine
Udupi cuisine is a world-renowned cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of the Cuisine of Karnataka and takes its name from Udupi, a town on the southwest coast of India in the state of Karnataka. The Udupi cuisine has its origin in the Ashta mathas of Udupi founded by...

. Since Mangalore is a coastal town, Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

forms the staple diet of most people.
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