Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

in the

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate

Coorg State Coorg State was a Part-C state in India which existed from 1950 to 1956. When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, most of the existing provinces were reconstituted into states. Thus, Coorg Province became Coorg State. ...

, at which point it was merged into an enlarged

Mysore State Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the later India, Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's c ...

. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. In 2001 its population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centre, making it the least populous of the 31 districts in Karnataka. The nearest railway stations are Mysore Junction, located around away,

Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the List of districts of India, districts of Mahé, India, Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode ...

, and

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...

, the latter two located in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

at a distance of about . The nearest airports are

Kannur International Airport Kannur International Airport is an airport serving the North Malabar region of Kerala, Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka and Mahé district of Puducherry in India. It is located east of Kannur, and east of Thalassery, near the muni ...

( from Madikeri) and

Mangalore International Airport Mangalore International Airport , is an international airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India. It is one of the only two international airports in Karnataka, the other being Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore. Mangalo ...

( from Madikeri).

Geography

Kodagu is located on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. It has a geographical area of . The district is bordered by

Dakshina Kannada district Dakshina Kannada district is a district of Karnataka state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east ...

to the northwest, Hassan district to the north,

Mysore district Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the origi ...

to the east, Kasaragod district of Kerala in west and Kannur district of

to the southwest, and

Wayanad district Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...

of Kerala to the south. It is a hilly district, the lowest elevation being above sea-level near makutta. The highest peak, Tadiandamol, rises to , with Pushpagiri, the second highest, at . The main river in Kodagu is the

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri (hill), Karnataka, Brahmagiri range in th ...

(Cauvery), which originates at

Talakaveri Talakaveri or Talacauvery is the place that is generally considered to be the source of the river Kaveri and a holy place for many Hindus. It is located on Brahmagiri hills near Bhagamandala in Kodagu district, Karnataka State. It is locat ...

, located on the eastern side of the Western Ghats, and with its tributaries, drains the greater part of Kodagu.

Rivers (Mouth)

(Bay of Bengal) *

Payaswini The Chandragiri River also known as Perumpuzha River is the longest river in Kasaragod district, Kerala, India. It was named after the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. The 17th century Chandragiri Fort is located on the river. Perumpuzha ...

(Arabian Sea) * Tejaswini (Arabian Sea) *

Kuppam River The Kuppam River is a river mainly within the Kannur district of the Indian state of Kerala, although a smaller section of the river is in Karnataka. Course The Kuppam River originates in the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary of Kodagu district ...

(Arabian Sea) * Valapattanam River (Arabian Sea) * Harangi (Kaveri) *

Lakshmana Tirtha The Lakshmana Tirtha (Lakshmantīrtha River) is a river of Karnataka, India., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency It rises in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake. The river o ...

(Kaveri) * Barapole ( Valapattanam River) * Kumaradhara (

Netravathi River The Netravati River or Netravathi Nadi has its origins at Bangrabalige valley, Yelaneeru Ghat in Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, India. This river flows through the famous pilgrimage place Dharmasthala and is considered one ...

)

Peaks

* Tadiyandamol * Kumara Parvatha * Brahmagiri * Kote Betta * Kabbe Hill * Mandalpatti * Nishane Motte * Malethirike

Administrative divisions

Taluks

The district is divided into five administrative

taluks A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

: *

Madikeri Madikeri is a hill station town in Madikeri taluk and headquarters of Kodagu district in Karnataka, India. Etymology Madikeri was known as ''Muddu Raja Keri'', which meant Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king Mudduraj ...

Virajpet The town of Virajpet also spelled as Virajapete is the second town of the district of Kodagu (Coorg), in Karnataka. It is the main town of the ''Virajpet taluka'', south of the district, in the Kerala-Karnataka border. The name is an abbreviati ...

Somwarpet Somwarpet (''somavārapēte'', also written ''Somvarpet'') is a panchayat town in Coorg district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the main town of the Somwarpet taluk, in the north-east of the district. 2nd highest Administrative town i ...

Ponnampet Ponnampet is a town which is also the taluk headquarters of Ponnampet taluk which is in the southern part of the district of Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. ...

Kushalnagar Kushalanagara or Kushalnagar is a city located in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Surrounded by Kaveri river, it is the gateway to Kodagu district. It also serves as the headquarters of Kushalanagar Taluk. By population ...

Representation

Two members of the legislative assembly are elected from Kodagu to the

Legislative Assembly, one each from the

and

. M P Appachu Ranjan represents the Madikeri constituency while K. G. Bopaiah represents the Virajpet constituency; they are from the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...

. Kodagu, formerly part of the Kodagu-Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore) constituency, is now part of the

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...

parliamentary constituency. The current MP for this constituency is Shri Pratap Simha, from the

. The Codava National Council and ''Kodava Rashtriya Samiti'' are campaigning for autonomy to Kodagu district.

History

The

Kodavas The Kodava people or Kodavas are an ethno-linguistic group from the region of Kodagu district, Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava language. They are traditionally land-owning agriculturists and pat ...

were the earliest inhabitants and agriculturists in Kodagu, having lived there for centuries. Kodavas Being a warrior community as well, they carried arms during times of war and had their own chieftains. The earliest mention about Coorg can be seen in the works those date back to

Sangam period The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...

(300 BCE - 300 CE). The

Ezhimala Ezhimala, a hill reaching a height of , is located near Payyanur, in Kannur district of Kerala, south India. It is a part of a conspicuous and isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, north of Kannur (Cannanore). The Indian Naval Acad ...

dynasty had jurisdiction over two ''Nadu''s - The coastal ''Poozhinadu'' and the hilly eastern ''Karkanadu''. According to the works of

Sangam literature The Sangam literature (Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam'';) historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ'') connotes ...

, ''Poozhinadu'' consisted much of the coastal belt between

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...

and

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

. ''Karkanadu'' consisted of

Wayanad Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...

- Gudalur hilly region with parts of Kodagu (Coorg). The Haleri dynasty, an offshoot of the Keladi Nayakas, ruled Kodagu between 1600 and 1834. Later the British ruled Kodagu from 1834, after the

Coorg War The Coorg War was fought between the British East India Company and the State of Coorg in 1834. Defiance of the Raja of Coorg (Chikka Virarajendra), a small state in South India, led to a short but bloody campaign in 1834. In February 1834, ...

, until India's independence in 1947. A separate state (called

) until then, in 1956 Kodagu was merged with the Mysore State (now

Coorg in British India

In 1834, the East India Company annexed Kodagu into

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, after deposing

Chikka Virarajendra Chikavira Rajendra or Chikka Vira Rajendra (Kannada: , ''cika/cikka vīrarājendra'') (also in other variations, including Chikkaveera Rajendra), was the last ruler of the Kodagu Kingdom, Kodagu (Coorg) kingdom in South India. His actual name wa ...

of the Kodagu kingdom, as 'Coorg'. British rule led to the establishment of educational institutions, introduction of scientific coffee cultivation, better administration and improvement of the economy.

Demographics

According to the

2011 census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

, Kodagu has a population of 554,519, roughly equal to the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

or the US state of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

. This ranks it 539 out of 640 districts in India in terms of population. The district has a population density of . Its

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

over the decade 2001–2011 was 1.13%. Kodagu has a

sex ratio The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species d ...

of 1019

females Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females ...

for every 1000 males, and a

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

of 82.52%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 13.27% and 10.47% of the population respectively. Kodava wedding

Language

At the time of the 2011 census, 30.91% of the population spoke

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

, 20.83%

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

, 14.86% Kodava, 8.92% Tulu, 5.81% Are, 4.66% Yerava, 4.23%

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

, 2.95%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Kurumba, 1.55%

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

and 1.16% Konkani as their first language.

Are Bhashe Arebhashe (, ''Arebhāṣe'') or Aregannada or Gowda Kannada is a dialect of Kannada mainly by Gowda and other communities in the region Madikeri, Somwarpet, and Virajpet taluks of Kodagu district, Sullia, taluks of Dakshina Kannada district; ...

, a dialect of

and

Kodava language The Kodava (''Kodava takk'', meaning 'speech of Kodavas', in the Kodava language, alternate name: Coorgi, Kodagu) is an endangered Dravidian language and it is spoken in Kodagu district in Southern Karnataka, India. The term Kodava has t ...

are native to Kodagu district. Both use Kannada script for literature. K S Rajyashree, Kodava speech community : An ethnolinguistic study

Kodava tribe and other Kodava language speakers

According to ''Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy'' (Karnataka's Kodava Literary Academy), apart from Kodavas, and their related groups, the ''Amma Kodavas'', the Kodava ''Peggade'' (Kodagu Heggade) and the Kodava ''Maaple'' ( Kodava Muslims), 18 other smaller-numbered ethnic groups speak Kodava Takk in and outside the district including the ''Iri'' (''Airi'', or the carpenters and the village smiths), the ''Koyava'', the ''Banna'', the Kodagu ''Madivala'' (washermen), the Kodagu ''Hajama'' (barber, also called Nainda), the ''Kembatti'' Poleya (household servants and labourers) and the ''Meda'' (basket and mat weavers and drummers). Among other Kodava speaking communities are: the ''Heggades'', cultivators from shimogga; the ''Kodava Nair'', cultivators from Malabar; the ''Ayiri'', who constitute the artisan caste; the ''Medas'', who are basket and mat-weavers and act as drummers at feasts; the ''Binepatta'', originally wandering musicians from Malabar, now farmers; and the ''Kavadi'', cultivators settled in Yedenalknad (Virajpet). All these groups speak the

and conform generally to Kodava customs and dress.

Kodagu Aarebashe Gowda

Less frequent are Tulu speakers

Billava The Billava, Billoru, Biruveru people are an ethnic group of India. They are found traditionally in Tulu Nadu region and engaged in toddy tapping, cultivation and other activities. They have used both missionary education and Sri Narayana Guru's ...

s, Mogaveeras, Bunts,

Goud Saraswat Brahmins Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd) are a Hindu Brahmin community of the north. The Konkani speaking Gaud Saraswat of Goa and southern India claim to be descendents of these Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of the north that migrated to K ...

Women in Karnataka wearing Kodagu style sari

The Arebhashe gowdas, or ''Kodagu Gowdas'', and Tulu Gowdas, are an ethnic group of Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu. They live in Sulya (in Dakshina Kannada) and in parts of Somwarpet, Kushalanagar, Bhagamandala and Madikeri. They speak a language known as Arebhashe a dialect of

. Guddemane Appaiah Gowda along with many other freedom fighters from different communities revolted against the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in an armed struggle which covered entire Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada. This was one of the earliest freedom movements against the British
called " Amara Sulliada Swantantrya Sangraama" (''Amara Sulya Dhange'' formally called the 'Coorg Rebellion' by the British) started in 1837.

Religion

Hindus are the vast majority. They include the Kodava tribe, other Kodava language speakers, Arebhashe Gowdas, Brahmins, most Yeravas and Kurubas. A huge minority of Muslims dot the Coorg district, especially the towns of

and

Mercara Madikeri is a hill station town in Madikeri taluk and headquarters of Kodagu district in Karnataka, India. Etymology Madikeri was known as ''Muddu Raja Keri'', which meant Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king Muddu ...

. A sizeable of them are the

Nawayath The Nawayath (also spelled as Navayath and Nawayat and also called Nait, Naiti , Naithee and Naita) are an Indian community and a subgroup of Konkani Muslims. They speak the Nawayathi dialect of Konkani. The term, as described by Qanoon-e-Is ...

s who shifted in the eighties from

Bhatkal Bhatkal, is a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bhatkal lies on National Highway 66, which runs between Mumbai and Kanyakumari, and has Bhatkal railway station which is one of the major railway s ...

and Murdeshwar in order to pursue coffee & arecanut plantations and textile business. The numerous mosque dotting the landscape is the testimony of Muslim presence in the district. A small number of

Mangalorean Catholics Mangalorean Catholics ( kok, Kōdiyālcheñ Kathōlikā) are an ethno-religious community of Latin Catholics in India typically residing in the Diocese of Mangalore in the erstwhile South Canara area, by the southwestern coast of present-day K ...

are also found in Coorg. They are mostly descended from those Konkani Catholics who fled the roundup and, later, captivity by

Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...

. These immigrants were welcomed by Raja Veerarajendra (himself a former captive of Tippu Sultan, having escaped six years of captivity in 1788) who realising their usefulness and expertise as agriculturists, gave them lands and tax breaks and built a church for them.''Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians'', Alan Machado Prabhu, I.J.A. Publications, 1999, p. 229

Tourism

Golden temple at Khushalnagar in Karnataka

Kodagu is rated as one of the top hill station destinations in India. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Kodagu include Talakaveri, Bhagamandala, Nisargadhama,

Abbey Falls Abbey Falls (also spelled Abbi Falls and Abbe Falls) ( kn, ಅಬ್ಬೆ ಜಲಪಾತ ) is a waterfall in Kodagu, in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. It is located 8 km from the Madikeri, 122 km from Mysore, 144 km ...

, Dubare,

Nagarahole National Park Nagarahole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India. This park was declared the 37th Tiger Reserve of India in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Western Ghats Nilg ...

Iruppu Falls The Irupu Falls (also Iruppu Falls) are located in the Brahmagiri Range in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, India, bordering the Wayanad district of Kerala. It is a fresh water cascade and is situated at a distance of 48 km from V ...

, and the Tibetan Buddhist Golden Temple. *

is the place where the

River Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...

originates. The temple on the riverbanks here is dedicated to Lord Brahma, and is one of only two temples dedicated to Brahma in India and Southeast Asia.

Bhagamandala Bhagamandala is a pilgrimage place in Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Location Bhagamandala is situated on the river Kaveri in its upstream stretches. At this place, the Kaveri is joined by two tributaries, the Kannike and ...

is situated at the Sangama (confluence) of two rivers, the Kaveri and the Kannika. A third river, the Sujyothi, is said to join from underground, and hence this spot is called the Triveni Sangama.

is a sacred Kodagu Hindu spot in South Kodagu in the Brahmagiri hill range. The Lakshmana Tirtha River, with the waterfalls, flows nearby and has a Rameshwara temple on its banks. It is said that this sacred river was created when Laxmana, prince of Ayodhya and younger brother of Lord Rama, shot an arrow into nearby hill, the Brahmagiri hill. Chelavara falls and Thadiandamol peak are also in South Kodagu. Nagarahole is a national park and wildlife resort. *

is the capital of the district and Raja's Seat park is popular with tourists. Kootu Poley dam is also popular among tourists. Omkareshwara Temple is a beautiful temple built in the Indo-Sarcenic style in Coorg. A legend is associated with the temple, built by Lingarajendra II in 1820 CE. The king put to death a pious Brahmin who dared to protest against his misdeeds. The spirit of the dead man began to plague the king day and night. On the advice of wise men, the king built this temple and installed a Shivalinga procured from Kashi, North India. St. Mark's Church is located within the Mercara Fort and was raised in 1859, by the officers and men of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

. The building was funded by the Government of Madras, and placed under the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

in India, Diocese of Madras. The Church was closed after Indian independence, and taken over by the

Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...

in 1971. The building now houses the Madikeri Fort Museum, managed by the Karnataka State Archaeological Department. * Dubare is mainly an elephant-capturing and training camp of the Forest Department at the edge of Dubare forest; on the bank of the river

along the

Kushalanagara Kushalanagara or Kushalnagar is a city located in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Surrounded by Kaveri river, it is the gateway to Kodagu district. It also serves as the headquarters of Kushalanagar Taluk. By population ...

– Siddapura road.

Nisargadhama ''Kaveri Nisargadhama'' is a delta which is called as island by local people, formed by river Kaveri near Kushalnagar in the district of Kodagu, Karnataka, India. Location It is approximately from Kushalanagara, off the State Highway and ...

is a man-made island and picnic spot near

, formed by the river

. The Tibetan Buddhist Golden Temple is at Bylakuppe near Kushalnagara (Mysore district), in the Tibetan refugee settlement. *

is a scenic waterfall 5 km from

. Mallalli falls is 25 km from Somawarapet, downhill of the Pushpagiri hills. Mandalapatti is 28 km from Madikeri. On the way to Abbey Falls, before 3 km from Abbey Falls take right, from there 25 km. Kote Betta temple, Kote Abbey falls are also in North Kodagu. Abbi waterfall and other

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

s are best during

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

season, typically some days after it starts raining in June up to the end of

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * '' ...

, while there is more water gushing in the streams and rivers.

Notable people

Armed Forces

* Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, first Indian C-in-C, fourth Indian High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand * General

Kodandera Subayya Thimayya General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya (31 March 1906 - 18 December 1965) was a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. Gen. ...

, head of Indian Army, chairman of Korean Repatriation Commission, head of UN Peacekeeping force * Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya, martyred in Indo-Pak war of 1965 as a fighter pilot after shooting down enemy aircraft and crashing into Pakistan; only Indian Air Force personnel to earn the Mahavir Chakra posthumously * Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna Army Martyr * Lieutenant General Biddanda Chengappa Nanda, GOC-in-C Northern Command, Karnataka Rajyaotsava Awardee * Lieutenant General C.B. Ponnappa, Adjutant General of the Indian Army. * Air Marshal K. C. Cariappa * Lieutenant General Pattacheruvanda C. Thimayya, former General Officer in the Indian Army

Sports

* M. P. Ganesh (Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh), Indian hockey captain, player and coach * B. P. Govinda (Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda), Indian hockey player *

Arjun Halappa Arjun Halappa (born 13 December 1980) is a professional Indian hockey player and former captain of Indian Hockey Team. Career Midfield maestro Arjun Halappa is the son of former East Bengal Hockey Club player B. K. Halappa, He hails from Kod ...

, Indian hockey captain and player *

A B Subbaiah Anjaparavanda Bopaiah Subbaiah is a former Indian hockey goalkeeper and coach. Early life He was born in Madikeri (Kodagu district, Karnataka) into the Kodava community. He played hockey for his school, St. Michael's Madikeri, as a fourteen ...

(Anjaparavanda Bopaiah Subbaiah) - Indian field hockey goalkeeper and coach. * M. M. Somaya (Maneyapanda Muthanna Somaya) - Indian field hockey player. * S. V. Sunil (Somwarpet Vittalacharya Sunil), Indian hockey player *

V. R. Raghunath Vokkaliga Ramachandra Raghunath (born 1 November 1988) is a former Indian professional field hockey player. He played as a fullback and was known for his abilities as a drag flicker. Early life Raghunath was born on 1 November 1988 to a forme ...

(Vokkaligara Ramachandra Raghunath), Indian hockey player * Ashwini Nachappa, Indian athlete, Arjuna awardee *

Rohan Bopanna Rohan Bopanna ( ; born 4 March 1980) is an Indian professional tennis player. His singles career-high ranking was world No. 213 in 2007 and his career-high ranking in doubles was world No. 3 on 22 July 2013. He has been a member of the Indian ...

, Indian tennis player *

Ashwini Ponnappa Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda (born 18 September 1989) is an Indian badminton player who represents the country at the international badminton circuit in both the women's and mixed doubles disciplines. She had a successful partnership with Jwal ...

, Indian badminton player *

Robin Uthappa Robin Venu Uthappa (; born 11 November 1985) is a former Indian cricketer, who last played for Kerala in domestic cricket & Chennai Super Kings in IPL. Robin has represented team India in ODIs and T20Is. Uthappa made his One Day International ...

, Indian Cricketer * K. C. Cariappa, professional cricketer *

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa Jagat and Anita Nanjappa are a well-known couple in the sport of motor racing in India. They belong to the Kodava community and are natives of Kodagu district of Karnataka. They have participated and won many motorbike and car rallies in India. ...

- motor racers *

Joshna Chinappa Joshna Chinappa (born 15 September 1986) is an Indian professional squash player. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 10 in July 2016. She was the first Indian to win the British Junior Squash Championship title in 2005 in th ...

- Indian

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

player *

Len Aiyappa Len Aiyappa (born 31 March 1979) is an Indian professional field hockey player. He remained one of India's best drag-flickers until he retired from the national team following a fallout with the Indian Hockey Federation in 2006. He last played ...

- Indian field hockey player.

Politics

* C M Poonacha (Cheppudira Muthanna Poonacha) Gandhian, Freedom fighter, politician. * N. Somanna (Nidyamale Somanna), lawyer and politician * K. G. Bopaiah (Kombarana Ganapathy Bopaiah), 18th Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly *

Appachu Ranjan M. P. Appachu Ranjan (born 11 September 1957) is an Indian politician who was the former Minister for Youth Services and Sports in Karnataka, a state in Southern India. He is a leader of the BJP in Karnataka and a fifth time Member of the Karna ...

, politician *

Prema Cariappa Iychettira Prema Cariappa is an Indian political and social worker. A politician from Indian National Congress party, she was a former Mayor of Bangalore and a former MP (member of the Parliament of India), as she was representing Karnataka in ...

, first woman Mayor of Bangalore, Rajya Sabha MP

Cinema

* Prema, actress * Shwetha Chengappa, actress * Rashmika Mandanna, actress *

Nidhi Subbaiah Nidhi Subbaiah (born 16 February 1987) is an Indian actress and model, who has appeared in various television advertisements and films, she is known for her performance in successful Kannada movies such as ''Pancharangi'' (2010) and ''Krishnan ...

, actress *

Daisy Bopanna Daisy Bopanna is an Indian actress who appears in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil language films. Personal life Bopanna is from Kodagu. She attended Aurobindo School, pre-university at Kumarans College and graduated with a Bachelor of Fi ...

, actress * Harshika Poonachha, actress *

Gulshan Devaiah Gulshan Devaiah is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Hindi films. He is known for his roles in '' Shaitan'', ''Hate Story'' and '' Hunterrr''. His performance in Shaitan was critically praised and earned him a nomination for Filmfare Aw ...

Civil Services

* C. B. Muthamma, first woman officer

Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...

* Rao Bahadur Pemmanda K. Monnappa, first

Inspector General of Police An Inspector General of Police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most se ...

of Hyderabad State following

Operation Polo Operation Polo was the code name of the Hyderabad " police action" in September 1948, by the then newly independent Dominion of India against Hyderabad State. It was a military operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the Nizam-ru ...

* (Tiger) Ashok Kumar, Retd. Assistant Commissioner of Police of Bengaluru * A. S. Bopanna, Judge of Supreme court * C. G. Somiah was the first IAS Officer from Coorg to rise to be the Home Secretary, Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and Comptroller and Auditor General. *Diwan Bahadur

Ketoli Chengappa Dewan Bahadur Ketolira Chengappa, C.I.E., was born on 3 March 1878 to Ketolira Muddaiah (worked as a village official) & Bolliavva from Yavakapadi Village, Kabinakad, Napoklu. He completed his matriculation in the year 1893. Thereafter, he went ...

, administrator (Chief Commissioner of Coorg province)

Religion

* Kalyatanda Ponnappa (c.1600) was a religious leader and warrior who is now worshipped as a demi-god *

Sadguru Appayya Swami Appaiah Swami or Sadguru Appayya Swami (ಅಪ್ಪಯ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ 1885–1956) (not to be mistaken with Appayya Swamy, a 17th-century Carnatic Musician and scholar of Tamil Nadu) was a Hindu Indian spiritual master who lived in Virajpet ...

(1885–1956), (born of Kodava parents) founder of Kaveri Ashram, a Hindu monastery in Virajpet, born as Palanganda Appaiah, ordained into Sannyas (monkhood) by Guru Ramgiri. * Swami Narayanananda * Swami Shambhavananda

Literature

* Appachcha Kavi (also called Appachu Kavi), playwright * Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa, translators, authors * B D Ganapathy * I. M. Muthanna author and translator * Nadikerianda Chinnappa, folklore compiler

Others

* Kodagina Gowramma, noted writer * Guddemane Appaiah Gowda, 19th century freedom fighter *

Pandyanda Belliappa Pandyanda I. Belliappa (or Pandianda I. Belliappa) was a Gandhian, a freedom fighter and politician from the erstwhile state of Coorg. Freedom struggle Belliappa entered politics in 1921 as a member of the Coorg Planters' Association. He later ...

(also called Pandianda Belliappa or P I Belliappa) Gandhian, Freedom fighter, politician, journalist. *

Biddu Biddu Appaiah (born 8 February 1944) is a British-Indian singer-songwriter, composer, and music producer who composed and produced many worldwide hit records during a career spanning five decades. Considered one of the pioneers of disco, Euro d ...

is a Kodava (Coorgi) by birth. He is a British Indian musician and winner of Grammy award. * Saleem Farook, tribal rights activist *

Nima Poovaya-Smith Dr Ammanichanda Nima Poovaya-Smith OBE is a museum curator, art historian and writer. She is known for her work on transcultural and post-colonial South Asian museum collections in Bradford. Early life and education Poovaya-Smith was born in ...

, museum curator, art historian and writer * N. S. Narendra, Firepro founder

References

External links

*
Kodagu district website
{{Authority control Kodava Takk Districts of Karnataka Proposed states and union territories of India Tourism in Karnataka

Geography

Rivers (Mouth)

Peaks

Administrative divisions

Taluks

Representation

History

Coorg in British India

Demographics

Language

Kodava tribe and other Kodava language speakers

Kodagu Aarebashe Gowda

Religion

Tourism

Notable people

Armed Forces

Sports

Politics

Cinema

Civil Services

Religion

Literature

Others

See also

References

Further reading

External links