At the confluence of five rivers

From here and there

Gangolli, Ganguli or Gangavali, is a fishing village in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district which is bordered by a river to the east and Arabian sea to the west.

The name of the village derived from the river Panchagangavali meaning the confluence of five major rivers namely Souparnika, Varahi, Kedaka, Chakra, and Kubja Rivers join and flow into the Arabian sea at Gangolli. It is a prime fishing port and the beach is known for a spectacular sunset.

Gangolli town had once been a famous fort for the Keladi rulers during 16th century. It was a major fortification under Tippu Sultan and he set up a ship building yard here. The Portuguese are said to have captured the fort and is believed that they introduced coconut cultivation in this area.

Under subsequent British rule, Gangolli developed as a major trading and export centre. It had business connections with Bombay, Kerala, Gujarat, the Middle East, Lakshadweep and Tanzania. Rice, jaggery and coconut were the major exports.

Later, in the 1980s it developed as a major fishing centre with the introduction of mechanised fishing. It is now the second biggest bunder of Karnataka.

The main languages spoken here are Kannada, Nawayath and Konkani. The historic Sri Venkataramana temple, popularly known as Malyara Mutt, is one of the oldest places of worship in this region.