Guthu House in Pilikula

The Bunts have their origins in Mangalore, the popular ones being Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty. Most today are in the restaurant business and run these eateries in Mumbai.  I came across many Bunt houses in the hamlets around Mangalore during my stay in Dakshin Kannada.

St.Marys-Island

An edited version of this article was published in Pune Mirror as Seaside Diaries As I scanned around I could see the Gurpur River meandering through coconut groves while steamers and boats bounced over it. I was atop Sultan Battery an edifice built by Tipu Sultan to contain the entrance of warships through Gurpur River. Though it is a simple watch tower it looks like a miniature fortress with musket holes for mounting canons. I had reached Mangalore the day before and was enjoying every bit of its cultural extravaganza.