Manipal is a suburb and university town within Udupi, in coastal Karnataka, India. Manipal is located five kilometres away from the centre of Udupi City, in Udupi District, Karnataka (state) in south western India. It is administered by the Udupi City Municipality. The suburb is located in coastal Karnataka, 62 km north of Mangalore and 8 km east of the Arabian Sea. From its location on a plateau, at an altitude of about 75 m above sea level, it commands a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Home to the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the town attracts more than twenty five thousand students every year and hence most of the population is students or university staff. It is one of the most cosmopolitan towns of India, reflected in its numerous cafes attracting students and faculty from around 60 countries. There are numerous spots throughout the suburb that attract students from nearby Mangalore and Udupi such as End Point, Manipal Lake and Malpe Beach. The city owes its rapid development to Manipal Academy of Higher Education for converting this into a student city. It is called "Campus Town" by the locals. A regional information technology hub, Manipal has one of the highest densities of mobile phones in India. Etymology Manipal derives its name from 'Manna Palla (Kannada: ಮಣ್ಣ ಪಳ್ಳ) (meaning "muddy hole" or "muddy lake" in Tulu) commonly called Manipal Lake, a freshwater lake within Manipal. Location Situated east of the center of the temple city of Udupi and north of Mangalore, Manipal was previously part of the Shivalli village panchayat. Now it is part of Udupi city. The name is derived from "munn" and "palla", anglicised to Manipal . Munn means "mud" and palla means "lake" in Tulu language. This lake, roughly in the shape of 400 mtrs. diameter circle, after which Manipal is named, is located in the middle of the town and about . away from the Arabian Sea, and has a boating facility. The Swarna river passes just north of Manipal. Recreational facilities are available through End Point Park and Tree Park. Manipal was once a barren hill with few trees. This hill was transformed into the university town it now is by Dr. T. M. A. Pai, who first started the Kasturba Medical College in 1953, now a part of the university, the Manipal Academy