Chikmagalur (officially Chikkamagaluru,
), previously known as ''Kiriya-Muguli'' is a city and the headquarters of
Chikmagalur district
Chikmagalur, officially Chikkamagaluru () is an administrative district in the Malnad subregion of Karnataka, India. It was called Kadur (''Cuddoor'') district till 1947. Coffee was first cultivated in India in Chikmagalur. The hills of Chikm ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
. Located on the foothills of the
Mullayanagiri peak of the
Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists from around the world for its pleasant and favourable
hill station
A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...
climate,
tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforests are dense and warm rainforests with high rainfall typically found between 10° north and south of the Equator. They are a subset of the tropical forest biome that occurs roughly within the 28° latitudes (in the torrid zo ...
and
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
estates. The pristine
Baba Budangiri lies to the north of Chikmagalur, where it is believed that
Baba Budan first introduced coffee to India.
Geography
Chikmagalur is situated in the
Malenadu
Malnad (or Malenadu) is a region in the state of Karnataka, India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats mountain range and is roughly 100 kilometers in width. It includes the districts of Uttara Kannada,Shivamog ...
region of Karnataka in the
Deccan plateau
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...
in the foothills of the
Western Ghats. It is situated at an elevation of above mean sea level, meaning it is the third highest city in Karnataka. The
Yagachi River has its source near the town and flows in the south-easterly direction before uniting with the
Hemavati river.
Chikmagalur is around 240 km from the state capital
Bangalore
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
, 183 km from
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
and 305 km from
Hubli
Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
.
Climate
Chikmagalur generally has a moderate to cool climate. In Winters, frost is a common occurrence in grasslands and farms, and in high altitude mountains, snowfall can occur. The temperature of the city varies from during winter to during summer.
Rainfall
In 2022, Chikmagalur hobli received an annual rainfall of .
In 2024, Chikmagalur received of annual rainfall. It was a massive turnaround of 75% excess, following a drought-like year in 2023.
Demographics
As of
2011 Indian Census, Chikmagalur city had a total population of 118,401, of which 58,702 were males and 59,699 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 11,633. The total number of literates in Chikmagalur was 96,359, which constituted 81.4% of the population with male literacy of 83.7% and female literacy of 79.1%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Chikmagalur was 90.3%, of which male literacy rate was 93.1% and female literacy rate was 87.5%. The
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 16,423 and 1,734 respectively. Chikmagalur had 28545 households in 2011.
Tourist attractions
*
Mullayyana Giri
Mullayyanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka, India. Mullayyanagiri is located in the Chandra Dhrona Hill Ranges of the Western Ghats of Chikkamagaluru Taluk. With a height of , it is the highest peak in Karnataka and also the 23rd highest p ...
and its adjacent peaks along the
Chandradrona Mountain Range
*
Ayyanakere Lake
*
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a Protected areas of India, protected area and tiger reserves of India, tiger reserve as part of the Project Tiger, situated in Chikkamagaluru district, south of Bhadravati, Karnataka, Bhadravathi city, 20 km from ...
*
Kudremukha National Park
*
Bhadra Dam
*
Horanadu and
Sringeri
Sringeri (IAST: Śṛṅgerī; ) also called Shringeri is a hill town and Taluk headquarters located in Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Sringeri is the site of Sri Sharadamba temple, a part of the Sringeri Sharada Pe ...
- Pilgrim spots
*
Yagati Mallikarjuna Temple
*
Belur &
Halebeedu
Transport
Rail and road are the two modes of transportation that are available in the city.
NH-173 (formerly KM Road) passes through the town connecting with the port city
Mangalore
Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
, located away.
State Highway 57 (Karnataka) connects the city to
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
via
Hassan in the south and to
Shimoga
Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city ...
, (''via
Lingadahalli'') in the north.
A railway line connects
Chikmagalur railway station to
Kadur Junction railway station. The nearest international airport is
Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore International Airport (also known as Mangaluru International Airport) is an international airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. It is one of only two international airports in the state, t ...
.
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned public road transport corporation company in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves routes to 31 districts and as wel ...
provides inter-state, inter-city and intra-city bus services to the city. Chikmagalur division of KSRTC has six operational depots, including three in
Hassan district
Hassan is one of the districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan, Karnataka, Hassan. It was part of ''Manjarabad Faujdari'' between 1832-81 (Mysore Commission, Commissioner's Rule of Mysore). In ...
.
NWKRTC and
KKRTC buses travelling to
Dharmasthala, all pass through
Charmadi Ghat, thus giving the city very good connectivity with the cities of northern Karnataka, like
Hubli
Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
,
Ballari
Ballari (formerly Bellary) is a city in the Ballari district in state of Karnataka, India.
Ballari houses many steel plants such as JSW Steel, JSW Vijayanagar, one of the largest in Asia. Ballari district is also known as the ‘Steel city of ...
,
Bijapur,
Kalaburagi, etc.
References
External links
*
Chickmagalur City Municipal Council Website
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Chikmagalur district
Cities in Karnataka