Mangalore consists of two  districts i.e. Lower        Canara (“Dakshina Kannada” in the local language) and Udupi district. Once upon a time  Lower Canara was a vast district with eight Sub-districts. From August 1997 this was  bifurcated into lower Canara and Udupi districts. Lower Canara presently consists of five Sub-Districts  viz. Mangalore, Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia and Belthangady  where as the Udupi  district consists of three Sub-Districts viz. Udupi, Kundapur and Karkal. These two  districts together are called as TULU-NADU, since the most popular language in  these regions is TULU.

Lying in the Western coast and touching the Arabian  Sea, Mangalore has been historically a ship building centre. Being a strategic  port, it was always under conflict in the past, thus having been under several  varied dynasties. Mangalore today is a blend of the new and old. Tulu-Nadu is one  of the most enchanting places to travel. Though known for its religious places of  worship, the place is blessed with green fields, water falls, beautiful beaches  and with rich variety of flora and fauna.

Mangalore was named after the goddess Mangaladevi.  The story goes a long way in enriching the cultural heritage of Mangalore.  Mangalore is the administrative headquarters of Lower Canara district,  Southwestern Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, Southern India, a port on the  Arabian Sea. It is also one the major ports of India. Lying on the backwaters  formed by the Netravati and Gurpur rivers, it has long been a roadstead along  the Malabar Coast. Engaged in Persian Gulf trade in the 14th century, Mangalore  was occupied by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. In the 18th century its  control was contested by Haidar Ali  and Tipu Sultan on one hand and  the  British on the other. Under the Mysore sultans (1763) it became a strategic ship  building base, which was ceded to the British in 1799 after numerous sieges.

The modern port, approximately 5miles north of the town, is now  Indias ninth largest cargo handling port. Mangalores economy is dominated by  agricultural processing and port-related activities. Imports include tropical  timber from south-east Asia for furniture making, a necessity since India places  major restrictions on its own teak felling. The port handles 75% of Indias  coffee exports and the bulk of it cashew nuts. The latter are brought from many  coastal areas (notably from Kerala, where 90% of Indias cashews are grown); the  National Cashew research centre is situated near by at Puttur. 

It has several famous pilgrim centres. The district  is a leader in more than one way in banking, private entrepreneur-ship and in  general awareness amongst people. The city of Mangalore has given birth to four banks on the national level apart from general insurance companies. Critics call it the  Cradle of Banking Industry. It has an airport and an all-weather port and is  well connected with other parts of the country. Industrialisation has crept in,  in the form of the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited, Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited, Mangalore Refinery and  Petrochemicals Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited,  Infosys Ltd. and a host of other projects proposed for the district, such as  the power plants of Jaiprakash Industries and NTPC, downstream  units of MRPL, etc.

An estimated Rs 250 Billion  rupees ( Approximately 5.5 billion Dollars) is expected  to be invested in the next five years, a good deal of it in the corporate  sector. The completion of the Konkan Railway project will give a further  fillip to the trade and commercial activity of the region. 

The tile, coffee and cashewnut factories are a unique  sight limited to the whereabouts of this coastal town. The St. Aloysius Chapel with its 100 years  old paintings, Shrimati Bai Memorial Museum, Beedi Factories, historical  temples, historical forts, Saib Mosque and Music Gallery is worth watching. 

A trip to Mangalore is incomplete without watching  the Classic Yakshagana - an elaborate dance  - drama performance unique to Karnataka. A night-long event, with people adorned  vibrantly, and dancing to the beat of drums, Yakshagana performance attracts  thousands of people. 
 
Hulivesha  (Tiger dance) is a  unique form of folk dance in Dakshina kannada that fascinates the young and the  old alike. Since tiger is considered as the favored carrier of Goddess Sharada  (the deity in whose honor Dussera is celebrated), this dance is performed during  the Dussera celebration. It is also performed during other festivals like  Krishna Janmasthami.