Malpe Beach - Karnataka
Imagine a beach with a long stretch of silvery sand, the gentle waves pouring onto the beach. Now imagine the clear blue skies and the long stretch of palm trees adorning the beach, gently swaying in the wind. Sounds heavenly? Doesn't it? That is exactly what Malpe Beach is.
An idyllic beach town, Malpe, situated in the Udupi district of Karnataka in South India on the mouth of the River Udyavara, is just 10 kms from Udupi, the famous temple town. It was once an important port on the coast of Karnataka, and has a never ending stretch of golden, untouched beach, dotted by swaying palms.
There are three islands to the west of Malpe. The southern most is Kari-Illada-Kallu, the middle one is Daria-Gadara-Kallu and the northern most island is Daria bahdur Gad. The sea between the rocky islands and the shore offers a safe anchorage for vessels during rough weather.
St. Mary's isles where Vasco da Gama is said to have landed in 1498, is another delightful get away spot right across Malpe. It is a picturesque, uninhabited group of islands accessible by about 30 minutes ferry ride from Malpe.
The Islands are just a few scattered projections of rock rising out from the Arabian Sea. This island is noted for its basalt (volcanic) rocks, which have crystallized into columns and split into hexagonal mosaic. Perhaps this is the only isles or spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formations. The shore here is unbelievable. You don’t find a single grain of sand on the shore. Guess what it is made up of....thousands, millions and billions of colorful sea shells. Walking on them to make it to the water, is an amazing experience.
Malpe is known also for the temple of Vadabhandeshwara which houses the idol of Sri Balarama which was installed by Sri Madhwacharya, the renowned exponent of Shaivaite philosophy. The Ananteshwara temple is another well known temple here.
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