Manipal

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Manipal is a university town situated in the state of Karnataka, India. It is tucked away in the rocky hinterland of the picturesque Malabar Coast of southwest India, about 8 km from the Arabian Sea. From its location on a plateau, it commands a stunning view of the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats range to the east. It is situated a few miles from the temple city of Udupi, and is 60 km to the north of Mangalore. Parkala is one of its residential areas. Manipal was previously under Shivalli village panchayat.

It is a center of academic learning, healthcare, industry and finance. Manipal has seen more than 70,000 students graduate and has an ever increasing enrollment number of more than 15,000 students. The township of Manipal comprises of two universities, 24 professional colleges, affiliated institutes and numerous primary and high schools.

Manipal is home to the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), a deemed university comprising of educational institutions, including the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal (KMC, Manipal), Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), the T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), the Manipal campus of Melaka Manipal Medical College (also known as International Centre for Health Sciences or ICHS) and the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA). The spectrum of educational institutions covers everything from elementary schools to professional and graduate level colleges.

The town gained prominence in the 1950s, when Dr. T.M.A. Pai, doctor, banker, educator, industrialist and philanthropist transformed a barren hillock into what is today a world renowned university town. Dr. Pai first established the Kasturba Medical College in 1953, and Manipal Institute of Technology in 1957. Since those early years, Manipal has grown to a bustling town of tens of thousands of people. In the year 1999 the Posts and Telegraph department of the Government of India released a commemorative stamp in honor of Dr. Pai.

It is also home to Syndicate Bank, a leading bank in India and the Karnataka Microelectronics Design Centre.

Manipal was in the news recently for having the highest density of mobile phone users in the country.A record 99% of Manipal's population have mobile phones.

[edit] Climate

The climate is humid and warm between November and May and wet and cool during the monsoon months from June to October. It has a tropical climate characteristic of coastal plains in the West of India. Manipal, being located on an elevated place near the seashore, has fine breeze throughout the day and the temperature ranges from 24°C to 38°C for most part of the year. The rainfall amounts to about 260-300 inches/year mainly during the monsoon months from June to October.