About Coorg

Kodagu or Coorg as it is popularly called is also known as the Scotland of the South. Coorg is situated in the Western Ghats amidst an abundance of natural lush greenery and is an ideal place for a holiday. It is surrounded on the one side by the two National parks namely Nagara hole and Bandipur and the Wyanad Bamboo forest on the other side and the Western Ghats covering the entire district. So one is constantly climbing up one hill and climbing down the other

Coorg is an ideal place for a weekend getaway .There are many places of interest in Coorg and the weather remains cool and pleasant even during summer months and the temperature dips down to single digits at the height of winter.Many tourists come here just to enjoy the monsoon rains which is very heavy and can cause many disruptions since the ghat roads tend to have land slides and the traffic comes to a complete halt when that happens. Madikeri or Mercara is the capital of this district and also the major town here.Most of the tourist places are centered around here and easy to access.

I have visited madikeri and other places in Coorg like Somavarpet, Kushal nagar and Kutta which are all beautiful in their own right. Nature is at its best here and the place is very scenic. Coorg is famous for its Coffee estates and most Kodava families own coffee estates small,medium sized or large..What remain in your mind is the greenery and the abundance of it , the wild flowers and the extremely good looking Kodavas ..

The Kodavas are the majority race in Kodagu, however there are many other groups that have migrated here and live in harmony with the kodavas. The second largest community of Coorg are the Gowdas who are basically agriculturalists most of whom tend to live close to the borders of Mangalore district and Mysore district and are a very prosperous farming community.

History and population

According to the Puranas, the land was called Krodadesa which later became Kodagu. The name has to do with river cauvery which is the life blood of Karnataka and especially Coorg from where it takes its birth with the reference being given to Mother Cauvery ,the fountain of life and sustenance in this land. Talacauvery which is in at Brahmagiri range of Western Ghats is the source of the Cauvery which happens on a specific day in October. Kaveri manifests herself as a sudden upsurge of water in a small tank although there are many controversies surrounding it. However, belief is greater and a large number of devotees gather to witness this phenomenon and offer a special prayer.

Coorg in olden days had everything in plentiful -rainfall , fruit orchards and rice fields, which made it the granary of the region and it was but natural that invaders had kept on eye on the place But, for centuries, the Kodavas who are a hardy mountain race had successfully fought off the invaders including the Mughals and the British who instead played it safe by offering friendship to the Raja. The place has always been known for its peace and prosperity. The British brought in coffee cultivation on a large scale. They also left behind a legacy of a colonial lifestyle that is still being followed. One can find many Kodavas serving in the armed forces.

In 1956 when the greater Karnataka state was formed Coorg it was merged with the State of Karnataka.

Places of interest in Kodagu

Madikeri ( Mercara) - This is the major town in Kodagu and also the entrance point when you come from Mangalore side.The town is situated at a height of 1300 meters. One can visit places like Raja seat which is a park which overlooks the valley and has very beautiful plants and trees. The other major attractions include Omkareshwar temple which is situated right in the center of the town. One can also visit the Madikeri Fort which was built in the 17th century. Another very interesting and scenic spot is Gaddige which is actually a monument built for the tombs of the Kodava royalty of ancient times.

Abbey Falls - This very beautiful waterfall is situated at a distance of about 10-12 kms from Madikeri. After driving down to the place, you have to walk 2 kms through the coffee and teak wood plantations to get to the place . Abbey falls at their fullest best soon after monsoons.It is impossible to get there during monsoons since the fall overflows and can be dangerous.I have seen this scary spectacle once when the the river was in spate and the waterfall was overflowing from every side .

Talacauvery - More than the religious and other implications this is one place that takes your breath away. You are lucky if you get a clear view when you get to the top of Brahmagiri where tala kaveri the birth place of river Cauvery is situated. Most days the entire place is misty .The best time to visit is after monsoons when the river is relatively full and the sky is clear.

Bhagamandala - As you drive down from Tal cauvery you come to Bhagamandala , where the two rivers Vauvery and Kannika unite and continue their journey . The place i s alos known as Kudala sangama which means a place of unity. There is a temple here and during monsoons when the rivers are full the road gets cut off since there is heavy flooding . Bhagamandala is located at a distance of about 4 kilometers from Madikeri.

Bylakuppe - Bylakuppe is a small village now famous for its Buddhist monastery and tibetan settlement .This is a settlement that was made specially for the Tibetans who came to India when China took possession and imposed its dictatorial rules.This place now looks like a mini Tibet where you get to see tibetans everywhere on thie two wheelers and ever smiling leading their life in harmony and peace contributing in their own eay to the state. The womne run small shops seling their handicrafts and other art objects which they are good at  .

The monastery is extremely beautiful with a Golden Statues of Buddha located within the temple premises and some mind blowing Buddhist paintings that are displayed within the temple walls . The monasatry and the very friendly monks add to the serenity of the place. One can buy trinkets and hand made decorative items that are on display ouside by the roadside. There are quite a few road side eating places where you get tasty momos and hot sumptuous soups. These are very popular with Indians who are traveling to cities like Kushalnagar ,Madikeri and Mysore and  they take a break here to taste the delicacies prepared by the tibetans.

 Kutta - If you are looking for a home stay amidst the coffee plantations that overlooks a beautiful waterfall then Kutta is the place for you.It is close to Wayanad bordering on to the neighboring Kerala state and an amazing place where you can go trekking and enjoy natute .In fact Kutta is very close to the Nagara hole forest range where they have elephant camps and tiger preservation programs and at night you hear the trumpet of elephants and the growl of tigers. Iruppu water fall is situated here and is a very scenic spot that can be only reached walking through paddy fields and thick woods. One has to be very careful of leeches which are plentyful here and when we go there in spite of taking every precaution possible , invariably we get bitten by leeches...more so if you happen to visit the place during monsoons.

 A few interesting facts

Legend has it that Cauvery was the wife of sage Agasthya. She transformed herself into a river to serve the people and such was her power that she had to completely submerge herself into the ground otherwise there was a fear that the entire mountain range would get flooded by her force. But when the sages prayed and pleaded with her to come out and bless the land she rose up again as a forceful river. And at this site a small shrine was built signifying the birth of the river which is known as Tala kaveri.

 When Sage Agasthya wanted to stop his wife from becoming a river and pulled her saree, the pleats of her sari were pushed backwards when she resisted and to this day Kodava women wear their sari with the pleats worn at the back...

According to the local stories during the conquest of Alexander the Great, many of his Greek soldiers, migrated down south and loved Kodagu and its natural beauty and married the natives and settled down in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats. So the present generation of Kodavas are descendants of Greeks and it is evident in their fair complexions, aquiline features and carriage.

Coorg can be reached only through road. It can be reached from Bangalore ( 260 kms or more ) as well as Mangalore ( 130 kms) and from Mysore (110 kms). The Bangalore Mysore highway is excellent for driving and once you reach Mysore you take the diversion to Hunsoor from where you can reach Kodagu. The road is very good and the drive is also very scenic once you reach Coorg.

When you take the Mnagalore route , you have to take The Bangalore Highway and take a diversion at Sulya which takes you to Madikeri. The drive is beautiful since you will be driving through Paddy fields and arecanut plams in sulya and Sampaje ghats which is part of Western Ghats .

Kodagu is a place definitely worth visting and one can easily take an extra day or two to have a quick trip since the district is small and can be covered  within two or three days.