Manipal

Manipal
—  city  —
Manipal Location of Manipal in Karnataka and India
Coordinates	13°21′N 74°47′E / 13.35°N 74.78°E / 13.35; 74.78Coordinates: 13°21′N 74°47′E / 13.35°N 74.78°E / 13.35; 74.78
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District(s)	Udupi
Population • Density	15,000 (2001[update]) • 25 /km2 (65 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) • 73 metres (240 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 576 104 • Telephone • +0820 • Vehicle • KA -20

Manipal (Tulu/Kannada : ಮಣಿಪಾಲ, maṇipāl) is a university town situated in the state of Karnataka in India. It is a suburb within Udupi city and is administered by Udupi City Municipality. It is located in the rocky hinterland of the Malabar Coast of south west India, about 8 km (5 mi) from the Arabian Sea. From its location on a plateau, it commands a view of the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats range to the east.

Location

It is situated 5 kilometres from the temple city of Udupi, and is 65 km (37 mi) north of Mangalore. Manipal was previously part of the Shivalli village panchayat. The name is derived from Mannu palla Anglicised to Manipal. Mannu means mud and Palla means lake in Tulu Language. This lake to which Manipal owes its name still has a pride of place in this university town and it offers boating facilities. Manipal was once a barren hill with few trees. This hill was transformed to a University town by Dr.T. M. A. Pai starting in the 1950s.^{[citation needed]}

Transport

Buses ply between Mangalore and Manipal every 20 minutes. The nearest airport is Bajpe Airport, Mangalore, which is located around 50 km from Manipal. There are many national and international flight carriers operating from this airport. The nearest railway station is Udupi Railway station in Indrali (about 4 km from Manipal).

About 100 buses ply between Manipal and Bangalore every day and night.

Climate

Between June and August, it is heavy monsoon season, with precipitation ranging from 50–80 cm. March to May, the temperature peaks at 35°C. At other times, the weather is tropical, approximating 27°C.^[1]

Major institutes

The greens of Manipal

Manipal is home to the Manipal University, consisting of educational institutions, including the Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Institute of Computer Education, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal (KMC, Manipal) , [Department of Commerce, BBM e-banking & Finance], Manipal Institute of Communication, MIM Manipal Institute of Management, Manipal Center for Information Science (MCIS Manipal), the T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal Life Sciences Center (MLSC)[1], the Manipal campus of Melaka Manipal Medical College (also known as International Centre for Health Sciences or ICHS), the Manipal College Of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS) , the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) and Dr. T.M.A. Pai Polytechnic.^[2]

The Venugopal Temple, Manipal, India

The town gained prominence in the 1950s, when Dr.T.M.A. Pai, doctor, banker, educator, industrialist and philanthropist transformed a barren hillock into a university town.

Other

It is also home to headquarters of Syndicate Bank. Manipal had the highest density of mobile phone users in India in 2006. 98% of the population had mobile phones.^[3] The Manipal Press Ltd and is also located in Manipal.

Places in and around Manipal

At the very heart of Manipal is Tiger Circle. All buses and taxis leave from here. It also has a small market with grocery and eateries forming the bulk of shops. The BSNL office and the Government approved ration shop are also very close by.

Amitha Bakery and Manipal Bakery are two very well known bakeries around this area. The two bakeries are located very close to Tiger Circle.

At one end of Manipal is End Point, which is a small 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. It is a very scenic place and a very famous tourist destination. There are two beaches near Manipal - Malpe and Kaup. There is a lighthouse on Kaup beach.

References

1. ^ "Manipal Climate - Averages". http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:INXX0127&q=Udipi%2c+IND+forecast:averagesm. 
2. ^ http://www.studyplaces.com/institute/manipal+university
3. ^ "text". The Hindu. 2006-12-23. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/12/23/stories/2006122300740100.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-11.