Mangalore’s quite unknown sister Cities

An interesting fact that is quite unknown for many is that Mangalore is twinned or has a relationship of legal or social agreement between 2 Cannadian cities, Hamilton, Ontario since 1968 and Delta ,British Columbia since 2010(Mangalore is the only sister city) for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. This wondrous fact itself shows the city’s international recognition as well as the world’s acknowledgement of the city’s unique beauty

Everyone passing through the State Bank area of Mangalore comes across a circle in front of the DC Office and State Bank of India. Many of us may not even know the name of this circle. For the people who are ignorant, its name is ‘Hamilton Circle’. Now, We wonder how this circle was named. You may be surprised to know that this circle is named after the city Hamilton located in Ontario Province of Canada.Named after its sister city.

Twin city or Sister city is a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, countries, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties. The modern concept of town twinning, conceived after the Second World War in 1947, was intended to foster friendship and understanding among different cultures and between former foes as an act of peace and reconciliation and to encourage trade and tourism.

  The process of twinning was initiated in the year 1968 when Hamilton residents from Mangalore approached the then Mayor of Hamilton Mr. Victor Kennedy Copps. In recognition of the Twin City, this circle is named ‘Hamilton Circle’. In fact, the first City Traffic Lights at Hampankatta in the heart of the City of Mangalore were donated by the City of Hamilton thanks to the efforts of a Mangalorean Professor of Mathematics teaching at the McMasters University in Hamilton.

  Another twinning programme was with one of the nine districts of Mauritius. In 1998, when Mr. A.B. Ibrahim was the then Commissioner of Mangalore City Corporation, a delegation from one of the nine districts in Mauritius had expressed its desire to have a twinning pact with Mangalore. At the signing of MoU in Mangalore, the district Mayor had declared that the twinning agreement coincided with the 200th anniversary of two emissaries of Tipu Sultan arriving at Mauritius. In 1798, Tipu Sultan had sent Prince Cassim Ali Khan and Mohammad Ibrahim on a secret mission to Mauritius, a French Colony, to discuss his war strategy with French Governor Malartic and recruit volunteers to fight the British in India. However, the plan was not successful as Tipu Sultan was killed in the next battle with British.

   The third twinning was with another Canadian City named Delta. On 12th October, 2010, Mrs. Louise Jackson, Mayor of Corporation of Delta of British Columbia in Canada along with a delegation visited Mangalore and signed a MoU with Mrs. Rajani Dugganna, the then Mayor of Mangalore City. During the signing it was stated that the MoU will strengthen ties between the two cities in the field of economics, culture and business, promote cultural exchange and build a bi-lateral relationship, wherein best practices of both cities will be exchanged. Mangalore is the only sister city of British Columbia, which gives more pride to Mangalore.

This way Mangalore becomes a  generous token and a unique symbol for all over the globe and with its kinds of culture and facts.