Saturday, September 24, 2011

Manipal

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.


t 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.


MANIPAL, according to me, stands for two great visionaries - Madhav Pai (Dr TMA Pai - the founder of this mini-metro, who was a doctor, banker, edupreneur, philosopher and a Padmashri), his nephew Ananth Pai (T A Pai - a banker and accomplished administrator as Chairman of Syndicate Bank / LIC / FCI as also Union Minister for Heavy Industries / Civil Supplies / Railways/Steel & Mines, and a Padma Bhushan awardee), Net-worked, Inclusive & Innovative, Progressive, Academic and Learners Paradise.



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