Manipal
| Manipal ಮಣಿಪಾಲ | |
|---|---|
| Suburb | |
 The Greens of Manipal | |
  Manipal  Manipal | |
| Coordinates: 13°20′49″N 74°47′17″E / 13.347°N 74.788°ECoordinates: 13°20′49″N 74°47′17″E / 13.347°N 74.788°E | |
| Country |
 |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Udupi |
| Region | Coastal Karnataka |
| Area | |
| • Total | 26 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 73 m (240 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 34,370 |
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Manipalite |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| • Regional | Tulu, Konkani |
| • Other | English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 576 104 |
| Telephone code | 0820 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KA |
| Vehicle registration | KA-20 |
| Website |
www |
Manipal (maṇipāl) is a locality of Udupi city, located 5 kilometres from centre of Udupi City in Karnataka, India and is administered by the Udupi City Municipality. It is located in the part of Coastal Karnataka, about 63 km (39 mi) north of Mangalore and 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the Arabian Sea. From its location on a plateau, it commands a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east.
Home to the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the town attracts over twenty five thousand students every year.[1] It is one of the most cosmopolitan towns of India, attracting students and faculty from around 60 countries.[2] It is called the campus town by the locals.[3]
Manipal is also the international headquarters of the Syndicate Bank[4]. A regional information technology hub, Manipal has one of the highest densities of mobile phone users in India.[5]
Location
Situated 5 km (3.1 mi) east from the centre of temple city of Udupi and 65 km (40 mi) north of Mangalore, Manipal was previously part of the Shivalli village panchayat. Now it is part of Udupi town. The name is derived from "mann" and "palla", anglicised to Manipal. Mann means "mud" and palla means "lake" in Tulu language. This lake, roughly a 400m diameter circle, after which Manipal is named, is located in the middle of the town, and used to offer boating facilities. Swarna River passes just north of Manipal. Recreation facilities are available through end point park.
Manipal was once a barren hill with few trees. This hill was transformed to a university town by Dr. T. M. A. Pai, who first started the Kasturba Medical College in 1953, now a part of the university.[6]
Climate
From September to February, the weather in Manipal is tropical with daily temperatures averaging 27 °C (81 °F). From June to August, Manipal witnesses one of the most extreme monsoons in the world, with the annual precipitation ranging from 500–560 cm (200–220 in). The months of March to May are hot and humid, with the daily temperatures typically peaking at 35 °C (95 °F).[7] Being away from large urban centres and the highly tropical climate of the town attracts a large number of birds, with 155 different species of birds being recorded in February 2015, including rarities such as the Tickell’s Thrush, Blue-eared Kingfisher and Slaty-breasted Rail. [8]
Demographics and Culture
Manipal is a cosmopolitan town mostly inhabited by university students from all over India and from other countries too. With the passage of time, the locals and foreigners have mixed up and portrays a unique culture. Kannada,Tulu and Konkani are the local languages. Non-natives consist of students who speak English and Hindi extensively along with Malayalam too, since nearly 20% of the students come from the neighbouring Kerala State. Other languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi ,Bengali etc are also spoken. Majority of people are Hindus. Muslims and Christians are also present in Manipal. Manipal is a very big employment center for many people living in Udupi district. Many people daily travel to Manipal for work, health services and for education from many far towns like Karkala, Shivammoga, Hiriyadka, Brahmavar etc. Manipal was originally not a part of Udupi but was a taluk in Udupi District, but now Manipal along with Malpe, Parkala, Udyavara are merged in Udupi City limits. Manipal is little different from neighbouring localities, due to Manipal's multicultural nature there is nightlife and rock concerts in Manipal, Ganesha Chaturthi is widely celebrated along with Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti etc.
Transport
Road
Manipal is connected to Mangalore and towns such as Udupi, Karkala and Kundapur by several private bus services and KSRTC City Buses which run every few minutes. The town also has overnight bus services to cities including Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai which are mainly run by private companies such as Orange Tours and Travels (Hyderabad and Bangalore to Manipal) [9], VRL Travels (Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai to Manipal) etc. and the government-run KSRTC. National Highway 169A passes through Manipal which connects Udupi to Karkala.
Rail
The nearest railway station is located about four kilometers west of Manipal in Udupi station (UD) on the Konkan railway line. It is about a kilometer away from the National Highway 169A. Mangalore Central (MAQ) station, located in Mangalore 67 km south of the town is the nearest major railway station.
Air
The nearest international airport is Mangalore International Airport (formerly Bajpe Airport), which is located around 62 km (39 mi) south from Manipal, connecting it to Indian cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi, and internationally to the middle eastern countries like Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Pre-paid taxis are available to transport passengers to and from Manipal and Udupi, however there are no direct bus services available to or from Manipal.
Buses also connect Manipal directly to the Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, to cater to the large number of international students studying at the university. KSRTC recently started "Flybus", a premium daily bus service from Manipal to Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore.
Education
Manipal gained prominence in the mid-1950s, when its founder Dr. T.M.A. Pai founded the Kasturba Medical College in 1953. He also founded the Manipal Institute of Technology in 1957, and later 21 other colleges, all of which became a part of Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1993.[10]
Manipal is a major technology and medical research hub, with major conferences and seminars organised almost every week. Since the establishment of MUTBI, the in-house business incubator of the university, a large number of student-run technology and media startups have sprung up. With an overall strength close to 25,000, Manipal University is considered to be amongst the top 10 private education groups of the country.
T. A. Pai Management Institute, a private autonomous business school unaffiliated with the university is also located in Manipal. It was established in 1980 and is the second B-School in India to get global accreditation to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) after Indian School of Business. Recently, CRISIL graded TAPMI as A+++ B-School both at national and Karnataka State levels.
Places in and around Manipal
Tiger Circle, popularly referred to by its initials by the locals and the university community, is the main commercial center in Manipal. All the buses and taxis leave from here.
Manipal has a planetarium, TMA Pai Planetarium named after Dr. Pai. It is the second oldest planetarium in the state of Karnataka, after Bangalore’s Nehru Planetarium. MIT has a swimming pool, especially for students.
Manipal also has a Museum of Anatomy and Pathology (Popularly known as M.A.P.) and is acclaimed to be one of the best museums in Asia. The museum features human and animal specimens including skeletons and diseased organs. It also has a fully preserved human body. The museum is not only open to the staff and students of Manipal, but also to schools, other colleges and the general public. It is open all year round, except on National Holidays.
At one end of Manipal is End Point, which is a cliff overlooking the Swarna river. From this point, one can see the Arabian Sea in the western horizon and the Western Ghats in the eastern horizon.Near the End-Point there is also a nice creek overlooking the Swarna river called the Baba's point and a small cafe to have some beverages.On the other end, you have the Arbi Falls which is within 3 km of Manipal. It is advisable to visit the place only during the monsoons.
Manipal has a post office, a police station and a small fire station along with many hospitals.
Syndicate Bank which is a Government of India undertaking has its headquarters in Manipal.
Udupi's Malpe beach is located about 10 km from Manipal. Other beaches around Manipal include Hoode, Kaup Beach, Marvante and Delta beach. One can visit St. Mary's island from Malpe beach for a peaceful evening in the middle of the sea. Kaup Beach has a lighthouse whose top is accessible to all. Delta beach is home to one of India's first surfing clubs, the Shaka Surf Club.
Udupi town is located about 5 km from Manipal. Udupi houses the Krishna Math, one of the most famous Krishna temples of the south. It is the center for the Dwaitha school of Vedanta philosophy.
Agumbe, a popular hill station on the Western Ghats, is around fifty kilometers east of Manipal and is frequented by the students. The major religious centre Sringeri is 88 kilometers from Manipal. Temple town of Kollur which houses the famous Mookambika temple is located just 75 km from Manipal. Manipal is located 34km from another temple town of Karkala where you can find the popular 57-foot monolithic statue of Gommateshwara.
Many famous temples and religious places are located close to this small and beautiful town.
Manipal is nearly 15 Kilometers from Barkur.[11]
Being a town bustling with college students from over 18 colleges under the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the town has a number of eateries spread all over. Global food chains like KFC, Domino's, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Belgian Waffle and Subway are also present. Notable local restaurants include Hadiqa(earlier called Egg Factory), Dollops, Coast Asia, Eye of The Tiger and Saiba. It also houses restaurants like Mughal Garden and Shubham's, which are famous for their authentic varieties in biryani. The town houses a Thai restaurant called Silk Route. The town has Inox at Central Cinemas, Laxmindra Nagar and Bharath Cinemas at the Canara mall. Although most of the restaurants close by 11:30pm, Manipal attracts youngsters and students from cities nearby for its pub life.
See also
References
- ↑ Tejaswi, Mini Joseph (29 January 2009). "Mangalore a melting pot". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ↑ "Manipal: How a barren hillock in Mangalore has transformed into a university town". The Economic Times. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
- ↑ http://manipal.edu/mu/about-us/history.html
- ↑ "Syndicate Bank - our Profile". Syndicate Bank's official website.
- ↑ "A cool crowd". The Hindu. 2006-02-23. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ↑ "Manipal Karnataka". Mapsofindia.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ↑ "Manipal Climate - Averages".
- ↑ "Birders record 155 species in Manipal - The Hindu". The Hindu (in Engilish). The Hindu.
- ↑ https://www.redbus.in/bus-tickets/manipal-to-hyderabad.aspx
- ↑ "Mix it like Manipal". indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
- ↑ "Manipal for the Traveller - The MIT Post". themitpost.com. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
External links
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