Mangalore, India

New-to-us port #39.

Technically, we stopped in Mangalore on RTW2017. But we had some urgent business to take care of, so we took the shuttle to town, got an all-day wi-fi pass at the Ocean Pearl Hotel, and spent the day there. No sightseeing. No exploring. Therefore, I am unilaterally declaring this port of call new-to-us.

Our tour today actually took us out of Mangalore to Karkala and Moodabidri. But before we could go anywhere … yes, you guessed it. Another stamp on our landing cards, which we then had to show at two different checkpoints before our guide could whisk us away.

Karkala, which means black rock in the Tulu language — in reference to the black granite that is found in the area — is about a 1.5-hour drive from Mangalore … and also the farthest point on our tour, for which we were joined once again by Sonia & Boris and Pat & Norm.

The town dates back to the 10th century and was, at one point, ruled by the Jain. (An interesting culture/religion that is very complex … if interested, you can Google it.). Our purpose for going to Karkala was to see the 42-foot tall Gommateshwhara statue of the Jain idol, Bahubali.

Installed in 1432 as the second tallest Bahubali statue in India, it was carved out of a single piece of granite. To say that the statue was quite impressive would be an understatement. Behind it are sculptures of Tirthankaras … what the Jain consider “supreme preachers” … the oldest of which is a couple million years old!

Next, we turned back the way we came and went to the town of Moodabidri … the name of which is also from the Tulu language and means east bamboo … in reference to all the bamboo that is grown in the region.

Our first stop was at Soans Farms … a 100-acre property that grows everything from pineapple and vanilla, to pepper and cocoa, to exotic fruits such as mangostein, rambutan, durian … and of course mango. In fact, after our tour of the farm, we picked up some mangos to add to our in-cabin-consumption stash.

From the farm, we continued a short distance to the Jain temple of Saavira Kambada Basadi … aka Temple of Thousand Pillars. Constructed in the 15th century, this temple is said to be the most prominent of the 18 Jain temples in Moodabidri. What makes it quite unique is that no two pillars are identical, each with different stone carvings. In the inner sanctum, behind a locked wooden gate, is an idol of the 8th Jain Thirthankara.

A quick stop at the local market in Moodabidri wrapped up our tour. Shortly after 2:00p, we were at the port gate showing our landing cards. Then, a scan of the cards inside the terminal and we were cleared to re-embark Insignia.

Tomorrow … another day … another port in India.Read more