Dhakke - Mangalore's Fishing Dock

Dhakke, the Fishing Dock of Mangalore is near the old Mangalore Port. For a devoted fishiterian me, this place holds a special place. Though, I haven’t visited this place while I was staying in Mangalore for reasons obvious. Parents would take care of feeding us and the place stinks of fish but the fresh catch of the day would taste scrumptious.
Few days back we had a gathering at home and we had to buy Fish. So we planned for an early morning drive to Dhakke. Well, it didn’t turn out to early morning though. We were at Dhakke around 07:30 in the morning and the business was already in full swing with the auctions to movement of fishes to the tempos and trucks and offloading the fishes from the boats. There were crates and crates of fishes all over.
Few pictures from my visit to Dhakke and you will get to decide about this place.. stinky but lively..

Sunday Mornings at Dakke

Fishes and the buyers

Mass

Fish Baskets

Weighing Prawns

Assorted ones

Crabs in Mass 

 Again the assorted ones

 Me buying big crabs

 Kane (Lady Fish) - One of the tastiest fish

 Crates and Baskets

 Lonely King Prawn

P.S: Pics clicked on iPhone, courtesy Prashant Bhandare. 

Mangalore: How to pay MESCOM electricity online?

Finally Mangalore is getting digital though at snail’s pace it’s changing for better. Rain or Sun, now Mangaloreans does not have to think of walking or travelling to KEB (MESCOM) or any bill collection points to pay the bill. You can do it through your finger tips and keep a track of the electricity usage and bill payment details online. All you have to do is, follow the simple procedure below to register your MESCOM account and pay the bills hassle free.

Prerequisites:

• Working internet connection ;)
• Account ID – Account ID is a 10 Digit number printed on your electricity bill. The matter on the electricity bill is not aligned properly, so the digit number which is printed below the RR number is your Account ID.
  
• MESCOM URL - https://www.mescom.org.in/SCP/Myhome.aspx

Step 1: Click on the MESCOM URL and the page redirects you to the MESCOM Portal.Step 2: Click on Click here to Register link to register your account.

Step 3: Enter the Account ID and enter the Captcha code.

Step 4: Click Continue. Step 5: Verify the Personal Information. The name and address to which the meter is registered is displayed along with the Sub Division.



Step 6: Enter the Residence and/or mobile number and the email address.
Step 7: In Create a User Name and Password section, select the checkbox if you would like to keep the email address as your User ID and enter the password, re-confirm the password.
If you would like a separate User ID, enter the desired User ID,  enter the password and re-confirm the password.
Step 8: In Your Security Information section, enter the area pin code, Date of Birth, and select and answer a security question.
Step 9: Select the Terms and Conditions checkbox and click Register.
Successful account creation will take you to the Account Summary page.

You can View or Pay bill using the MESCOM Online portal. Along with these services, you can view the Billing and Payment History along with other services.

To pay the bill online, click on Pay Bill link.

Step 10: Select the Account ID, click on Terms and Conditions checkbox and click Make Payment.
The Payment Channel page is invoked.
Step 11: Select the Payment Channel and click on Pay Now.
This will take you to the Bill Desk Page, where you can enter the online banking details and complete the transaction.


Alternatively, you can pay the bills online without registering from the following location:
https://www.mescom.org.in/SCP/MyAccount/QuickPayment.aspx

You should be knowing your 10 digit account number to make the online payment without registering at MESCOM.

In case you have any trouble with the online transactions, you can contact the Customer Care at: 18004251917

Wedding Moments: Hairstyle of a typical Mangalorean Bride

Mangalore is famous for few things: The Ideal Icecreams, Beaches, Temples, Seafood, down to earth people and yes, Mangalorean Jasmine - Mallige. You get anything anywhere in the old but Ideal icecreams and Mangalore Mallige is really difficult to transport and get it anywhere in the world. However, these flowers are sent often to Siddi Vinayak temple in Mumbai. 

Any Mangalorean wedding is incomplete without the presence of Jasmine. No matter what price of Jasmine on the day of wedding, people afford to buy Jasmine. Based on the local demand, the price is fixed daily. So, in case there are religious festivals and lot of festivals in a day, the Mallige price can go up to 1500 for an Atti. It seems 800 flowers make a chendu and 4 chendu makes an Atti. 

Hairstyle of a typical Mangalorean wedding:
Around 5 Atti Mallige is used for the Jasmine Braid (Mallige Jade) for a bride in Mangalore. And bridal hairstyle pattern is typical and specific to Mangalore. Check few of the pictures of Mangalorean Mallige Jade.

PC: Nithin Suvarna, Nayan Kumar
Wedding Photography by: Dreamframes, Balmatta, Mangalore

Bridal Hairstyle at:
Diva Beauty Salon
Address: 1st Floor, Somayaji Building, Bunts Hostel Road, Opposite Hotel Woodlands, Mangaluru, Karnataka 575002
Phone:0824 244 3086

Refer the links below to know more about Mangalore Jasmine:
http://lifeofgujarat.blogspot.in/2014/04/shankerpura-mallige-jasmine-flower.html
Refer this site: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=176944

Monsoon memories

Looks like Monsoon is gone and we are left with the memories of the monsoon. It's always colourful, mostly greenery all over and all other colours glow around those lush greenery. And wow those gardens, they dance beautifully with blooming variety of flowers for they are happy during the monsoon.

Back home, monsoon season is my favourite season, walking to school through the paddy fields, witnessing the paddy growth from ploughing the fields to harvesting. The long walk to the school was pleasant in this weather and most of the time I used to love getting wet in the rain. The gushing water from the stream throughout the walk was so soothing. Nature had so much those days and now we are left with buildings and apartments in place of paddy fields and streams which is now only a memory, sweet monsoon memories. 

Giri Manja's

Part 2 of http://cutesmilealways.blogspot.in/2015/08/want-to-try-authentic-mangalorean.html 

Another recommendation goes to Hotel Giri Manja's which is near Car Street. Similar to Hotel Narayana, this was my recent find providing authentic seafood cuisine. The place is not a fine dine types but the food goes on to taste better than what you get from the five stars.

Restaurant Name:

Giri Manja's

Address:

Behind Indian Overseas Bank,

Near Badrai College,

Mukhyaprana Temple Rd,

Bunder,

Mangaluru,

Karnataka 575001

Timings: 11:00 – 3:00 (lunch only) - Sunday Holiday

Average Waiting Time: 10 to 20 Minutes

Cost for 2: 500 (depends on what kind of fish you opt)

Specialty: Sea food

They provide authentic GSB type food along with the season specific fish cuisine. I have tried most of the fish fries here and my all time favorite is the crab roast. The restaurant is a little dificult to find even for a Mangalorean but every Auto driver will know this place and you can always rely on Google Map and this restaurant is listed on Google Map.

What to order:

Like Narayana, this hotel comes which a template of meals (GSB style) which includes Boiled or White rice, fish gravy (mostly sardine curry), pickle, vegetable sabjis or curry. And the fish fries which you have ordered. Pricing and variety of fishes depends on the season. don't forget to try their cocum juice.

These are the 2 restaurants I suggest you not skip while you are on a Mangalore trip. You can refer the following website for best Mangalorean restaurants: http://www.the3hungrymen.com/  

Want to try authentic Mangalorean seafood at Mangalore?

I always want to try the local cuisines while I travel. But I never thought of finding an authentic Mangalorean cuisine restaurants in Mangalore while I was staying here. Long after I shifted to Bangalore, I found this small hotel, which was very famous by the time I could make a visit. That’s Hotel Narayana in Bunder, which is very close to Dakke (Fishing Dock of Mangalore).

One more reason for not trying out this place was, we usually have home cooked food and when we go out for lunch/dinner we always preferred chicken or fine dine restaurants. But all this while I did not have an idea what I had missed.

So here comes my 2 recommendations for authentic Mangalorean food, when it comes to Mangalore its Seafood. One is Hotel Narayana at Bunder and the second one is Giri Manja’s near Car street. (I have provided the details in the next post)

First recommendation:

Hotel Narayana

Address:

Near Kalikamba Temple, 
Gopalkrishna Temple Road, 
Bunder, 
Bhavathi,

Mangaluru - 575001

Karnataka

Timings: 12:30 – 3:30 and 07:00 – 09:30

Average Waiting Time: 20 to 30 Minutes

Cost for 2: 500 (depends on what kind of fish you opt)

Specialty: Sea food
Directions: Google lists this restaurant 'Hotel Narayana, Mangalore'

My mouth started watering while I’m filling in the above details. This is not a fancy or fine dining place. It’s a mess kind of place but the food served here will beat the quality and taste of a five star hotel. Always try to be there by 12:30 in the afternoon or be prepared to wait for at least 20 to 30 minutes and to share your table with others. I have always been here for lunch and believed this place was closed for dinner but the google listing displays the timing 12:30 – 3:30 and 07:00 – 09:30

What to order:

This hotel comes which a template of meals which includes Boiled or White rice, fish gravy (mostly sardine curry), pickle, one vegetable sabji or curry. Once the waiter gets the thali, he will come with a thali filled with variety of fish fries and you chose whatever fish you would like to have. Pricing and variety of fishes depends on the season. Don’t forget to try the special powder which is the fried remains of fish fry. Yummy..! Also, the special butter milk.

The quality and taste of the cuisine is no doubt. No one can replicate the taste of the fishes at Narayana. Yummy, mouthwatering. This place is a must try when you are in Mangalore.

August 15^th is a holiday at Hotel Narayana. I remember driving all the way to Hotel Narayana during Independence Day to find the restaurant closed. Imagine our hungry stomach craving for the fish fries of Narayana. :)

Sadly, I do not have any photographs of this place or the cuisine as I was always into hogging whenever I was at this place.