Today we visited Mangalore, India.  Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka.  Mangalore derives its name from the local Hindu Goddess Mangaladevi. It developed as a port on the Arabian Sea remaining, to this day, a major port of India.
Our first stop in Bangalore was the Achal cashew processing plant.  Here, our guide stands next to a huge pile of freshly-roasted cashews.
200 women work in this plant, opening each cashew one nut at a time.  The cashews that we know, actually grow inside a hard shell, which must be cracked open.  Just like most nuts.
This lady takes each cracked nut, and pulls the cashew out.  The wages at this plant for someone like this is about $5 a day.
These ladies scrape off the thin skin that surrounds the shelled cashew.
Now, it's Mark's turn to shell a cashew.  These ladies turn out a cashew each 2 seconds.  It took Mark about 60 seconds, and he broke the nut!
Here is Ralph and our lovely guide.
Sure, the name is a big one.  But, so is the temple!  This is also known as the Kudroli Temple.
The outdoor area is completely covered by white marble
Here's Mark at the entrance of the temple, with our guide.
Our guide is pointing to the special oil that burns in front of the temple for Shiva.  This oil is said to extract any bad energy from the people around it.
Our guide tells us about Shiva, the supreme god that is worshipped at the center of the temple.  All the Hindu gods have bodies and faces, even animal faces, such as elephants, etc.  Shiva, however, has no face.  The god is represented by a single scuplture that resembles a farm silo.  They put a mask of a face over it, but the statue is of a simple geometry.  You can't see the Shiva in this photo, but it sits way in the back.
This Hindu priest prepares a smoke treatment for these worshippers.   The smoke rises from a large pit, and is inhaled by the worshippers.  It is a healing smoke.
While the Shiva shrine sits at the center of the temple, a number of other gods are sitting in shrines on the perimeter of any temple.  Worshippers make an offering to the priest, who, in turn passes the message to the god.  He then passes a flame over the god and brings the flame back outside.  The worshippers then wave their hands quickly through the flame and then rub their hands over their faces.
There is an interesting exit routine at any Hindu temple.  Before leaving, you sit down for at least a minute.  Just sit.  Look around.  Think.  Then, you get up and leave.  It is not appropriate to walk around, and then just leave.  Another interesting ritural in the temple is the ringing of the bells.  All around the temple you will find bells, just like you would see on a ship.  Every few minutes, someone (anyone) will ring one of the bells.  When you hear the bell, you are supposed to stop your thoughts of that moment, and think of the gods and why you are in the temple.
Just look how well they take care of this temple.
As we left, we watched as a continuous stream of worshippers entered.
We visted a second temple.  An ancient one.  This temple dates back to the 10th Century and is still an active temple today.
One of the features of every Hindu temple is a pond or pool.  This ancient temple is fed by a special, holy water flow from a nearby forest.  They claim that if you swim in these pools, and there are exactly 7 of them, you will never have any skin diseases.
Here is the main temple.  We were not permitted to photograph the inside.  It's not much to look at from the outside, but stunning on the inside.
Hanuman has a monkey's head and a muscleman's body.  He was an ancient "strong man" for the 10,000 year old Hindu god Rama.  Rama was an avatar for one of the five supreme gods, Vishnu.  I know, this gets complicated.  Anyway, consider Hanuman to be the Superman of ancient times.  In today's India, the young kids look up to Hanuman as being something to aspire to.  He is today's Superman as well.
This statue of Lokeshwara in the seated position with three faces and six arms is said to be the best bronze statue in India.  It is just over five feet tall.  It dates back to 968 A.D.

It is a national treasure.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
Ralph and our guide as we leave the temple
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
This is, yet another, fish market.  For some reason, we keep ending up at fish markets!  Oh brother.
Don't let Ralph's smile fool you.  This wasn't the highlight of his day.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
We love this photo.  While the gentleman doesn't seem to be thrilled to have his photo taken, the photo just screams with character.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
This is another one of my favorite photos.  It just captures a slice in time in this interesting city.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Day 73 - Mangalore, India
Mark and Ralph Around The World
Author: Mark and Ralph Around The World (ID: 14182)
Posted: 2011-03-20 12:28 GMT+00:00
Mileage: 34.11 km
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Tags: Travel, India
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Welcome to Mangalore, India!
Today we visited Mangalore, India. Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Mangalore derives its name from the local Hindu Goddess Mangaladevi. It developed as a port on the Arabian Sea remaining, to this day, a major port of India.
The Achal Cashew Plant
Our first stop in Bangalore was the Achal cashew processing plant. Here, our guide stands next to a huge pile of freshly-roasted cashews.
The Achal Cashew Plant
200 women work in this plant, opening each cashew one nut at a time. The cashews that we know, actually grow inside a hard shell, which must be cracked open. Just like most nuts.
The Achal Cashew Plant
This lady takes each cracked nut, and pulls the cashew out. The wages at this plant for someone like this is about $5 a day.
The Achal Cashew Plant
These ladies scrape off the thin skin that surrounds the shelled cashew.
The Achal Cashew Plant
Now, it's Mark's turn to shell a cashew. These ladies turn out a cashew each 2 seconds. It took Mark about 60 seconds, and he broke the nut!
Mangalore - India
Here is Ralph and our lovely guide.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Sure, the name is a big one. But, so is the temple! This is also known as the Kudroli Temple.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
The outdoor area is completely covered by white marble
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Here's Mark at the entrance of the temple, with our guide.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Our guide is pointing to the special oil that burns in front of the temple for Shiva. This oil is said to extract any bad energy from the people around it.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Our guide tells us about Shiva, the supreme god that is worshipped at the center of the temple. All the Hindu gods have bodies and faces, even animal faces, such as elephants, etc. Shiva, however, has no face. The god is represented by a single scuplture that resembles a farm silo. They put a mask of a face over it, but the statue is of a simple geometry. You can't see the Shiva in this photo, but it sits way in the back.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
This Hindu priest prepares a smoke treatment for these worshippers. The smoke rises from a large pit, and is inhaled by the worshippers. It is a healing smoke.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
While the Shiva shrine sits at the center of the temple, a number of other gods are sitting in shrines on the perimeter of any temple. Worshippers make an offering to the priest, who, in turn passes the message to the god. He then passes a flame over the god and brings the flame back outside. The worshippers then wave their hands quickly through the flame and then rub their hands over their faces.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
There is an interesting exit routine at any Hindu temple. Before leaving, you sit down for at least a minute. Just sit. Look around. Think. Then, you get up and leave. It is not appropriate to walk around, and then just leave. Another interesting ritural in the temple is the ringing of the bells. All around the temple you will find bells, just like you would see on a ship. Every few minutes, someone (anyone) will ring one of the bells. When you hear the bell, you are supposed to stop your thoughts of that moment, and think of the gods and why you are in the temple.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Just look how well they take care of this temple.
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
As we left, we watched as a continuous stream of worshippers entered.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
We visted a second temple. An ancient one. This temple dates back to the 10th Century and is still an active temple today.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
One of the features of every Hindu temple is a pond or pool. This ancient temple is fed by a special, holy water flow from a nearby forest. They claim that if you swim in these pools, and there are exactly 7 of them, you will never have any skin diseases.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
Here is the main temple. We were not permitted to photograph the inside. It's not much to look at from the outside, but stunning on the inside.
Hanuman, The Monkey God
Hanuman has a monkey's head and a muscleman's body. He was an ancient "strong man" for the 10,000 year old Hindu god Rama. Rama was an avatar for one of the five supreme gods, Vishnu. I know, this gets complicated. Anyway, consider Hanuman to be the Superman of ancient times. In today's India, the young kids look up to Hanuman as being something to aspire to. He is today's Superman as well.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple - The Trilokeshwara Statue
This statue of Lokeshwara in the seated position with three faces and six arms is said to be the best bronze statue in India. It is just over five feet tall. It dates back to 968 A.D.

It is a national treasure.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
Ralph and our guide as we leave the temple
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
This is, yet another, fish market. For some reason, we keep ending up at fish markets! Oh brother.
Mangalore - India
Don't let Ralph's smile fool you. This wasn't the highlight of his day.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
We love this photo. While the gentleman doesn't seem to be thrilled to have his photo taken, the photo just screams with character.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
This is another one of my favorite photos. It just captures a slice in time in this interesting city.
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
Mangalore - India
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