SPIC MACAY Karnataka

Many of you would’ve already booked your tickets. So what’s in store for you at Mangalore apart from NATCON? Akshay Pattabi, second year student at NITK, Surathkal takes you around Mangalore even before you get here!!

The sweltering heat, salty smell of the sea, Tulu language, reckless buses and (in the months from June to October) incessant rains – that would be Mangalore in a nutshell for any newcomer. The same being the opinion of most of the native Mangaloreans themselves, an outsider can well be forgiven for thinking along these lines!

Although the writer (who has spent over twenty years in the city) has the tendency to take the city for granted, he is here to tell you there’s more to Mangalore than meets the eye.

Mangalore, or Mangalooru, as the Kannadigas call it, is named after the presiding deity, Goddess Mangaladevi.

The chain of natural beaches is the prime attraction for travellers who visit this part of coastal Karnataka. Sulthan Battery, with its water and adventure sports, St Mary’s Island at Malpe and the Panambur beach, which is in close proximity to the New Mangalore Port, are popular havens for tourists. For those who like peace and tranquillity, the beaches at Ullal and Thanneerbavi would be more apt. Pilikula Nisargadhama which houses the Shivarama Karanth Biological Park and a museum for the works of local folk artisans is a must-visit.

A trip to Mangalore is a truly religious experience, with centuries-old temples such as the Mangaladevi, Gokarnanatha, Kadri and Kateel temples located in and around the city. The St. Aloysius Chapel (known for the splendid paintings on its walls and ceilings), which is comparable with the chapels of Rome, and the Darga of Sayed Muhammed Shariff Madani are also worth visiting. Pilgrimage destinations such as Udupi, Kollur-Mookambika, Dharmasthala, Subrahmanya, Murudeshwar, the Gomateshwara at Karkala and the Thousand-Pillar Basathi at Moodabidri are a few hours’ journey from the city. The temple at Garodi, dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, is the only one of its kind in the country.

Coastal Karnataka is steeped in tradition and culture. Yakshagana, a form of musical theatre that combines dance, music, actor-created dialogues, elaborate costume-makeup, and stage technique, is the crown jewel of regional art. Usually taking place in open spaces or a bayalu, a typical performance goes on throughout the night and generally draws its plot from historical events or epics such as The Ramayana or The Mahabharata. There are several other notable art forms such as Aati Kalenja, a traditional Tulu harvest dance and the baila dance of the Catholic Konkanis. Bhoota-Kola, an ancient ritual form of spirit worship prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community and Kambala, an annual Buffalo Race held traditionally under the auspices of aristocratic Bunt Households, are also worth mentioning.

Languages are what make a place what it is at first glance. Most Mangaloreans are well-versed in Kannada, Hindi and English. Malayalam, Byaari, Urdu and Konkani are also spoken. Tulu, of course, is the language indigenous to the coastal belt. The variety of languages gives Mangalore its many names – Mangalooru, Kudla (Tulu), Mangalapuram (Malayalam) and Maikaal (Byaari).

The Mangalorean palate will assuredly leave its unique taste lingering on the taste buds for a very long time. A breakfast or evening tea here offers a wide variety of delicacies to choose from – Neer Doosas, Goli Baje, Sajjige Bajjil, Kottige, Patthrode and buns (quite unlike the ones one gets in a bakery), to name a few. For non-vegetarians, Kori Rotti, sukka, pulimunchi and urval promise to be unforgettable savouries. Of course, being a coastal city, Mangalore boasts of an exquisite variety of seafood specialities which give Mangalorean cuisine its trademark flavour. Cashew delicacies are almost a registered trademark of Mangaloreans – Cashew Macaroons and burfies being the most popular ones. Deviating slightly from tradition, the writer must urge that you haven’t been to Mangalore unless you have had ice creams at Ideal Ice Cream parlour or its sister concern Pabbas, which have become. Offering enormous helpings of delicious frozen treats at very affordable prices, a visit there is bound to remain in your memory for years to come.

So, summing up, your trip to Mangalore will definitely be an experience you will never forget.

Welcome to Mangalore!

This is an anecdote written by one of the spicmacay volunteers of the Mangalore chapter. If you have any similar experiences pen them down and send it to us. 

There was a time when I loathed Indian classical music. Much of it made me sleep. I branded it as an art form dedicated first to gods and then to grandmas!! I would’ve retained this misconception if I had never come across SPICMACAY.

I am not from a musical family. My parents never forced me to take up music classes. All I knew about music was Bhajans and Kannada movie songs. (I am talking about an era where school children didn’t have mobile phones). In a small town like Tumkur music concerts were rare.

NITK (National Institute of Technology Karnataka) was the place where I was exposed to music. I embraced second rated rock music in the beginning. Soon I caught up with Pink Floyd, Eagles, Dire Straits and Hindi oldies. Later I tried Beethoven and Mozart. The only thing left was Indian Classical music.

Given the set of prejudices I had, I would’ve never entered the SJA (Silver Jubilee Auditorium) for an Indian classical music concert. One afternoon I saw a SPICMACAY poster which said that there was a Violin concert that evening. I had some queer fascination about Violin. I was curious to see our traditional oldies playing it. In fact I was seeing a real-violin for the first time in life!

I entered the SJA, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. It was a very casual and inquisitive visit. I sat there for a few minutes. There was no Eureka moment as far as my appreciation was concerned. I took some time to fit in. Gradually I started rejoicing the variations. I didn’t bother about the name of ragas (or even the name of the artist). The tunes slowly started to possess my attention and earned my applause. By the end of it I knew that there was something here.

The next concert I attended was also an instrumental performance. The instruments played were Sarod and tabla ! I thoroughly savoured this concert. The tabla matched the greatness of the drums of rock music. It even surpassed the brilliance of Sarod at times. There were swift change of moods and brilliant variations. There were moments when I felt like jumping out of my chair in ecstasy. Sadly the SJA was sparsely populated that evening. I knew that something brilliant was missed by many.

I can just go on and on. Only a live experience will convince you about the reality I am talking about.

This kind of music is not for the ones who want their heads to vibrate at high frequencies. It is not for the ones without a patient and an open mind.  People who make a genuine attempt to try it out have a chance to fall for it. Once you fall for classical music you’ll never leave it.

Indian classical music has its own traditions. It does not intend to grab audience by giving them whatever they tend to like. It has carved a high ground for itself right from the very beginning of its existence. The audience need to elevate themselves to its datum, to be able to appreciate and enjoy this form of music. There is no need to know anything about ragas or the technicalities. You just need to be ready to listen and feel its magic.

If you have second thoughts about  Indian classical music your perceptions after reading this, don’t forget to check out a SPIC-MACAY event in your area.