Mangalore has been an important port on the Arabian coast for centuries. In the 14th and 15th century, it traded with Persian and A rab merchants. It was a shipbuilding centre during the reigns of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. With Tipu’s defeat by the British in 1799, the city was incorporated as the capital of South Kanara district.
The modern port, 10kms away from the city centre is today India’s 9th largest cargo handling zone and is the major centre for the export of cashew nuts and coffee. The completion of a deep water port in 1976 coupled with the influx of large industries including petrochemicals and power plants has made this once quiet hilly city into a bustling metropolis southwest India. However, Mangalore has a nonchalant tropical ambience and makes a pleasant and relaxing stopover between Goa and Kerala.
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