Manipal the Harvard of India
Report and Pictures by Victor D’Souza, Doha
Bellevision Media Network
Doha, 15 June 2010: When we think of Manipal first thing that comes to our mind is Hospital and then education. Truly, Manipal is just our neighborhood town which stands out among all the places for various needs and reasons. Manipal is also a beautiful and comfortable place to live. The township in Manipal has some of the finest houses and custom built apartments with recreation and lush green landscape that provides all the luxury and comfort.
I always spend some time in Manipal, at least a couple of times during my every vacation, because I visit my brother Wilfred and his family who live there. I also have some fond memories of Manipal as I used to often visit and live there during my younger days. During my recent vacation when I went there along with my family, I had my camera with me and here are some pictures to describe Manipal.
Manipal is a university town situated in the state of Karnataka in India. It is located in the rocky hinterland of the 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 also situated about 3 km from the temple city of Udupi, and is about 65 km north of Mangalore. Parkala is one of its residential areas. Manipal was previously under 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 due to which Manipal owes its name still has a pride of place in this university town and it offers boating facilities.
Manipal is often described as the Harvard of India. This city is home to Manipal University (formerly known as MAHE) comprising of esteemed educational institutions, Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal Institute of Management (MIM), T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal Life Sciences Center (MLSC), Manipal campus of Melaka Manipal Medical College (also known as International Centre for Health Sciences or ICHS), Manipal College Of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS), the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) and Dr. T.M.A. Pai Polytechnic.
It is amongst the first institutions in the private sector to be recognized as a Deemed University by the Government of India. It has over 20 constituent institutions that provide over 180 courses across 13 streams - Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering, Nursing, Allied Health, Pharmacy, Life Sciences, Management, Mass Communication, Information Sciences, Hotel Managementand Regenerative Medicine etc.
The spectrum of educational institutions covers everything from elementary schools to professional and graduate level colleges. It is also home to headquarters of Syndicate Bank. The Manipal Press Ltd (Udayavani) is also located in Manipal. Manipal Institute of Communication is a constituent college of Manipal University. It is one of the premier journalism and communication colleges in India.
Manipal University currently has an enrollment of over 15,000 students each year and has a strong alumni base of over 120,000 students worldwide. Today, Manipal has the largest concentration of foreign students in India doing professional courses, in effect the student body of Manipal represents 52 countries who live, work and study together.
The town gained prominence in the 1950s, when Dr. Tonse Madhav Ananth Pai (1898 – 1979), doctor, banker, educator, industrialist and philanthropist transformed a barren hillock into what is today a renowned university town. Dr. T.M.A. Pai first established the Kasturba Medical College in 1953 and Manipal Institute of Technology in 1957. He, along with his brother Mr. Upendra Pai, also established Syndicate Bank originally in Udupi, which has its headquarters now in Manipal and Bangalore. He was responsible for its popular Pigmy Deposit Scheme.
Dr. T.M.A. Pai the founder of modern Manipal, was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1972. He was awarded the degree of D. Litt. by the Karnataka University in 1973 and the Andhra University in 1975. The Posts and Telegraph department of the Government of India brought out a stamp commemorating Pai on October 9, 1999. Dr. Pai has also been recognized by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the person who has established the most number of educational institutions in his lifetime.
A place one must see in Manipal is Manipal End Point which is at the northwest outskirt and is one of the most beautiful places now with so many developments. I will write a separate report on this soon.