Abstract

If you spread out the map of India, these two regions are mere dots on it! Yet, North and South Kanara have given India two of its greatest spiritual seers whose legacy reaches almost every corner of the world! Many of its native communities – the Shettys, the Vokkaligas, the Saraswats, the Lingayats, the Jains, the Catholics and the Muslims – have set up educational institutions, businesses and industries, agricultural, power and hospitality projects, in a major contribution to the national exchequer! A journey with Vimla Patil…

Udipi Krishna Temple associated with Shri Madhvacharya

On the Steps of Vidya Tirth (Vidyaranya),
Swami's Samadhi Temple Steps

The Kanaras offer wonders of Nature too. The Yellapur and Kudremukh Reserve Forests are full of wild animals and an interesting variety of birds and snakes. The Jog Falls on the River Sharavathi – with four magnificent cascades called Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket – are a mesmerising sight as they jump over a cliff 900 ft high. The glimmering beaches, stretching all the way from Karwar and Gokarna to Mangalore and Ullal, are a lotus eater’s dream-come-true! The most famous are the Om Beach in Gokarna, Sadashivgadh in Karwar and the Surathkal, Ullal, and Someshwara beaches near Mangalore. Mountain trekking, nature trails, boating in lakes and beach and forest picnics are hugely popular. The area offers a feast of local cuisines rich in fish and meat curries and vegetarian delicacies.

You can go to North or South Kanara by land, sea or air! But if you want to see a heavenly sight, take a flight to Mangalore. Just as your plane begins its descent, long, sinuous stretches of virgin sands and mysterious green forests dotting the Western Ghats come into view. Further down, you see houses – some very modern and others traditional with their tiled roofs and spacious verandahs surrounded by gardens. On either side of the road are rich and verdant plantations of coconuts, plantains, betelnuts and cashews, along with a red-earthy landscape dotted with refineries, factories, business zones and huge cargo containers waiting for the ships arriving at the port.

Home to Celebrities

Today, this coastal belt is buzzing with energy and progress! While it retains an old-world charm in its old homes and temples, it also showcases the impressively rising growth curve of the region. The city houses businesses and luxurious hotels, and boasts efficient traffic and shopping complexes. Being the biggest city in this region, Mangalore is also home to all the communities that have lived here for centuries. They are not only heirs to great monuments and heritage sites, but have also spread across India to build industries and businesses, educational institutions, art and crafts centres, and become powerful in the corridors of politics.

To start with, the communities most associated with South Kanara are the Bunts or Shettys and the Saraswats. With business in their blood, they have been the pioneers of the restaurant and hospitality industry, not only in metro cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, but even in remote mountain villages like Badrinath in the Himalayas. Thanks to the Shettys, the Pais and the Kamaths, the cuisine of idli-sambhar and dosas has become a lip-smacking part of India’s international food culture today. The Pais have built huge educational complexes like the Manipal University and financial institutions like the Syndicate Bank. Together, the Bunts and Saraswats have built many co-operative banks, housing societies, religious, educational and social institutions that have ushered in an age of progress not only in their hometowns but wherever they have settled in India. Many of them are national celebrities, specially in the hospitality and entertainment industries – e.g. Aishwarya Rai, Suneil Shetty, Manmohan Shetty of Adlabs, Vitthal Kamat of Kamat’s hotels, Vijay Mallya, chairman of the U B Group, and Prakash Mallya, chairman of Vijaya Bank.

Originally from the banks of the River Saraswati in Kashmir, Saraswat Brahmins travelled southwards to Goa in the 13th-14th centuries and then dispersed to the Kanaras when the Portuguese took over the lush region. Today, they are a progressive community that has revolutionised the food, entertainment and banking industry even in Mumbai. Some eminent personalities forming politicians, educators, doctors, lawyers and artists nationwide are Girish Karnad, Shaym Benegal, Prakash Padukone, Deepika Padukone, Guru Dutt, Lalita Lajmi and countless others. The Saraswats are also the founders of the co-operative banking and housing movement in Mumbai. One of the biggest banks in this sector, the Shamrao Vithal Cooperative Bank, is popular among the Saraswat communities in India.

The Vokkaligas and Lingayats have acquired big political clout. And the Muslims – called the Moplas – and the Christians known as Mangaloreans, add colour and variety to the mosaic of the region. Many prominent figures from these communities have impacted the politics and business in Karnataka as well as India – Margaret Alva being a prominent example!

Spiritual Sangam

Bahubali At Karkala

When you travel across the Kanaras, you see heritage sites that tell the chequered story of the region. The roads to these sites go through thick and verdant jungles where birds of rare plumage prance among the trees. There are innumerable streams and rivers that crisscross the area, bringing life to the jungles and rich harvests to the farms and plantations.

Many famous shrines stand on the banks of sacred rivers. Sringeri, the Sharda Peeth founded by Adi Shankaracharya, stands on the River Tunga. Here, India’s greatest philosopher built his ashram and launched expeditions to bring new life to the Sanatana Dharma, the glorious heritage of India. He is the one-man power which united India as one nation through the establishment of the Char Dham or four holy destinations. Though born in Kaladi on the banks of the River Poorna in Kerala, Shankara set up the famous parampara of pontiffs in Sringeri. Even today, these pontiffs continue to be spiritual guides to millions around the globe. The ancient Samadhi of the 12th pontiff of this Math, Vidyaranya Swami – the spiritual guru of Harihara and Bukka, founders of the glorious 14th century Vijayanagar Empire – also stands in Sringeri. Its wonderful architecture includes 12 magnificently sculpted pillars, representing the 12 signs of the zodiac. Uncannily, the sun’s rays touch the relevant pillar through the year, as the sun travels through the zodiac!

Adi Shankaracharya and Madhvacharya, two of India’s greatest thinkers and philosophers, have impacted every thought stream, and their works are studied in universities around the world. Kollur, consecrated by Adi Shankara, and where Goddess Mookambika stands in full glory, is an ancient temple with a beautiful courtyard. Dharmasthala, on the River Netravathi, is dedicated to Lord Manjunatha-Shiva. But the priest here is a Vaishnav and the Chairman of the temple trust is a Jain! As in Udupi Sree Krishna Temple and Kollur, this temple also feeds thousands every day and provides free food to all pilgrims. On the return journey to Mangalore, a stop in Karkala to see the 42-ft high monolith of Gomateshwara-Bahubali, the Jain Tirthankara, is a must. Next to it is the beautifully carved Basadi or meeting hall for scholars on top of a rocky hill.

Mangalore also has beautiful edifices like the Milagres Church, Rosario Cathedral, Ullal Jumma Masjid and the Dargah of Sayed Mohammed Sheriful Madani. Gokarna, with its 12th century Mahabaleshwara temple and the Om Beach with the Ram Tirtha hill jutting out into the Arabian Sea, is a place of historic importance. It is obvious that all faiths have lived peacefully in the Kanaras, creating their own places of worship.

Falls, Jungles, Beaches

Jog Falls on the River Sharavathi

The Kanaras offer wonders of Nature too. The Yellapur and Kudremukh Reserve Forests are full of wild animals and an interesting variety of birds and snakes. The Jog Falls on the River Sharavathi – with four magnificent cascades called Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket – are a mesmerising sight as they jump over a cliff 900 ft high. The glimmering beaches, stretching all the way from Karwar and Gokarna to Mangalore and Ullal, are a lotus eater’s dream-come-true! The most famous are the Om Beach in Gokarna, Sadashivgadh in Karwar and the Surathkal, Ullal, and Someshwara beaches near Mangalore. Mountain trekking, nature trails, boating in lakes and beach and forest picnics are hugely popular. The area offers a feast of local cuisines rich in fish and meat curries and vegetarian delicacies.

Rich with history and nature’s bounty, the Kanaras are a unique landscape painted in rainbow colours! What’s more, the people here form an equally colourful mosaic of communities that represent the essential unity of India.