Kodagu district () (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, municip ...

in the

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 ...

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. Mandalpatti Hills

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 located in the state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the Arabian Sea to its west. Dakshi ...

to the northwest,

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 ...

to the north, Mysore district to the east,

Kasaragod Kasaragod () is a municipal town and the administrative headquarters of the Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kera ...

district of Kerala in west and

Kannur district Kannur () is one of the 14 Districts of Kerala, districts along the west coast in the state of Kerala, India. The city of Kannur is the district headquarters and gives the district its name. The old name, Cannanore, is the anglicized form of th ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...

to the southwest, and

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

of Kerala to the south. It is a hilly district, the lowest

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

being above sea-level near makutta. The highest peak,

Tadiandamol Tadiandamol or Thadiyandamol is the highest mountain of Madikeri taluk Kodagu district, Karnataka, India. It is the third highest peak in Karnataka, after Mullayyanagiri & Kudremukha. It is located Western Ghats range, and reaches an elevatio ...

, rises to , with Pushpagiri, the second highest, at . The main river in Kodagu is the

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...

(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 (Coorg), in the South Indian ...

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

Rivers (mouth)

(

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

) *

Payaswini The Chandragiri River, also known as the Payaswini River in Karnataka and as the Perumpuzha River in Kerala, is the longest river in Kasaragod district, Kerala, India. The river is a historical treasure of Chemnad. It was named after the Maurya ...

(

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

) * 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 The Valapattanam River is a 110 km long river which flows through the Kannur district in North Kerala. It is the longest river in the Kannur district. Course The Valapattanam River originates from the Brahmagiri hills of Western Ghats in ...

(Arabian Sea) * Harangi (

) *

Lakshmana Tirtha The Lakshmana Tirtha (Lakshmantīrtha River) is a river of Karnataka, India. It rises in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake. The river originates at the height of 1450 meters in the Brahmag ...

(Kaveri) * Barapole (

) *

Kumaradhara The Kumaradhara River is a west-flowing river in the state of Karnataka, India. One of the two major rivers of Sullia, it merges with the Netravati River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea. The merging of the rivers is a major event ...

( Netravathi River)

Peaks

* Tadiyandamol * Kumara Parvatha * Brahmagiri

Rainfall

Kodagu district receives majority of its rainfall from

Southwest 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 oscil ...

winds. It is the 4th highest average annual rainfall receiving district in

. The amount of rainfall varies significantly due to the effects of El-nino and La-nina. In the year 2018, Kodagu received 29% excess rainfall of , in 2019, in 2020, and in 2021. In the year 2022, Kodagu received 11% Above-Normal rainfall of . In the year 2023, it received 38% deficit rainfall of .

Forest

Kodagu is known for its dense forest cover and the exotic flora and fauna found there. It has three wildlife sanctuaries;

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the 21 Wildlife Sanctuaries in Karnataka, India. This sanctuary is located in Somwarpet taluk of the Kodagu district. It is home to rare and endangered birdlife. The Kadamakkal reserve forest is a part ...

Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka state of South India. It is located in Kodagu district and is spread over 105 km². It borders with Ranipuram hills and Kottencheri hills in Kasaragod district of Kerala. ...

and

Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary The Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kodagu District, Karnataka State, India, within the Western Ghats and about 250 km from Bengaluru. The sanctuary derives its name from the highest peak of the mountain range, Brahmagiri (hill ...

, one National Park; the

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 Ni ...

and the only private sanctuary of India; the

SAI Sanctuary SAI (Save Animals Initiative) Sanctuary is located in the Kodagu district in the Indian state of Karnataka. SAI Sanctuary is the only private sanctuary in India. It is spread over an area of 1.2 square km. It is managed by SAI Sanctuary Trust. SAI ...

. Kodagu is home for species endemic to the Western Ghats. It has large tiger and elephant populations as well. As per the elephant census of 2023, Kodagu with 1,013 elephants, had nearly one-sixth of total elephant population in

, second only to

Chamarajanagar Chamarajanagara is a city and headquarter of eponymous Chamarajanagar district in the Karnataka state of India. It is named after Chamaraja Wodeyar IX, the erstwhile Raja of Mysore, Chamarajanagara was previously known as 'Arikottara'. Hist ...

Agriculture

Economy of Kodagu is dependent on agriculture. Major crops grown here are Paddy,

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 ...

, Rubber, Pepper, Cardamom, Coorg Oranges and Honey production. Tea, Ginger and Cocoa are also grown in smaller quantities.

Coffee and pepper production

Kodagu is the largest Coffee and Pepper producing district in

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 ...

. Karnataka produces nearly 70% of the total Coffee production in India, out of which 33% is contributed by Kodagu district alone. Also Kodagu produces nearly a quarter of India's Black Pepper.

Representation

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

Legislative Assembly, one each from the

Madikeri Madikeri (), earlier called as Mercara is city and headquarters of Kodagu district in the Karnataka state of India. It is recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site ...

and

Virajpet The town of Virajpet also spelled as Virajapete () is township of the district of Kodagu, in India's southern States and union territories of India, State of Karnataka. It is the main town of the ''Virajpet taluka'', south of the district, and b ...

. Dr. Mantar Gowda represents the Madikeri constituency while A.S Ponnanna represents the Virajpet constituency; they are from the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

. Kodagu, formerly part of the Kodagu-Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore) constituency, is now part of the Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency parliamentary constituency. The current MP for this constituency is Shri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, from the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

. The Codava National Council and ''Kodava Rashtriya Samiti'' are campaigning for autonomy to Kodagu district which would have made Coorg more prosperous and independent.

History

The

Kodavas The Kodavas (Codavas or Kodagas) also called Coorgs are an endogamous Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group from the region of Kodagu district, Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava langu ...

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

(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 language, Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil language, Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cā ...

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

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 ...

and

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

. ''Karkanadu'' consisted of

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

- 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 Kingdom 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 183 ...

, 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 in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, 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 (Coorg) kingdom in South India. His actual name was Vira Rajendra, ...

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. This reference notwithstanding - we should remember that the colonial rule by the British in India was about exploitation of resources and Kodagu provided a lot of scope for economic benefits to a colonising empire.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Kodagu has a population of 554,519, roughly equal to the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

or the US state of

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. 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. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...

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

sex ratio A sex ratio is 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. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...

of 1019

females An organism's sex is female (symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and male ...

for every 1000 males, and a

literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

of 82.52%. 14.61% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 13.27% and 10.47% of the population respectively. Kodava wedding

Religion

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

Kushalnagar Kushalanagar or Kushalanagara 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, ...

and

Mercara Madikeri (), earlier called as Mercara is city and headquarters of Kodagu district in the Karnataka state of India. It is recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ...

. 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-Isl ...

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 ...

and

Murdeshwar Murdeshwar is a village in Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India, and lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea. It contains the world's third tallest Shiva statue, as well as the Murudeshwara Temple. The town has a railway statio ...

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 () are an ethno-religious community of Latin Church in India, Latin Christians from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, Diocese of Mangalore and the erstwhile South Canara area; by the southern coast of present-day Kar ...

are also found in Coorg. They are mostly descended from those

Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...

Catholics who fled the roundup and, later, captivity by

Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...

. 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

Language

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

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

, 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 ...

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

Yerava The Ravula (Adyar in Malayalam, Yerava in Kannada) are a tribal community or indigenous community in Karnataka and Kerala. Their common language is known as the Ravula language. They live predominantly the Kodagu district of Karnataka along wi ...

, 4.23%

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

, 2.95%

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, 1.74%

Kurumba Kurumba may refer to: * Kurumbas (tribe), an indigenous community in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu * Kurumba languages, spoken by the Kurumbas * Kurumba Gounder, a caste of Tamil Nadu, India * Kurumba, Panchthar, village in ...

, 1.55%

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

and 1.16%

as their first language.

Are Bhashe Arebhashe (, ''Arebhāṣe''), or Aregannada or Gowda Kannada, is a dialect of Kannada mainly by Gowda communities in the regions of Madikeri, Somwarpet, and Kushalnagar taluks of Kodagu district, Coorg, Sullia and Puttur taluks of Dakshin ...

, a dialect of

, Tulu and

Kodava language The Kodava (, natively: ''Koḍava takkï'', , meaning 'speech of Kodavas', Angloid name: Codava, Coorgi) is a Dravidian language spoken in Kodagu district (Coorg) in Southern Karnataka, India. It is an endangered language. The term Kodav ...

are native to Kodagu district. Kodava Language uses the Official Script Invented by Dr IM Muthanna in 1970.K S Rajyashree, Kodava speech community : An ethnolinguistic study

Kodava people 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 Kerala State; 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 Arebhashe Gowda

Less frequent are Tulu speakers

Billava The Billava, Billoru, Biruveru or Bhil, Bhillava people are an ethnic group of India. They constitute 18% of the total Karnata population. They are found traditionally in Tulu Nadu region and engaged in toddy tapping, Agriculture, cultivation an ...

Mogaveeras Mogaveera is a fishermen community in the Tulunad region of South West India. They dominated the maritime business of the region. History The Mogaveeras are the fishermen community of Tulu Nadu. The Mogaveeras have also been porters or pal ...

, Bunts,

Goud Saraswat Brahmins Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd), also known as Shenvis are a Hindu community of contested caste status and identity. They primarily speak Konkani and its various dialects as their mother tongue. They claim to be Saraswat Brah ...

. The Arebhashe gowdas, or ''Kodagu Gowdas'', and Tulu Gowdas, are an ethnic group of

Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...

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 Arebhashe (, ''Arebhāṣe''), or Aregannada or Gowda Kannada, is a dialect of Kannada mainly by Gowda communities in the regions of Madikeri, Somwarpet, and Kushalnagar taluks of Kodagu district, Coorg, Sullia and Puttur taluks of Dakshi ...

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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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

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) 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 from Mangalore and 268 km from Ba ...

Dubare Dubare is a forest camp on the banks of the river Kaveri in the district of Kodagu, Karnataka. See also * Suntikoppa * Bylakuppe Bylakuppe (བྷ་ཡ་ལ་ཀུཔེ།) is a region in Karnataka which is home to the Indian t ...

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) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...

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 The Lakshmana Tirtha (Lakshmantīrtha River) is a river of Karnataka, India. It rises in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake. The river originates at the height of 1450 meters in the Brahmagi ...

, 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 Brahmagiri may refer to: * Brahmagiri (Maharashtra), a hill in the Western Ghats range in Maharashtra, India; source of the River Godavari * Brahmagiri (Karnataka), a mountain range in the Western Ghats range in Karnataka, India * Brahmagiri arch ...

. 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 that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. The building was funded by the Government of

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, and placed under the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

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 GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...

in 1971. The building now houses the Madikeri Fort Museum, managed by the Karnataka State Archaeological Department. *

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 Kushalanagar or Kushalanagara 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 Mallalli Falls is situated in the Somwarpet Coorg District in Karnataka state in south India. The Kumaradhara River is the main watercourse for this waterfall. The Kumaradhara later flows through Kukke Subrahmanya and merges with the Netravati ...

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 any 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 seve ...

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 Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

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

* Air Marshal

K. C. Cariappa Air Marshal Kodandera Cariappa 'Nanda' Cariappa is a former Air Officer in the Indian Air Force. He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), South Western Air Command. He is the son of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, who was th ...

* Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, * Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya, fighter pilot *

Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna Major Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna was a war hero of India. Early life Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna was born in Chettimani village (near Bhagamandala), Kodagu district (Coorg) on 21 April 1964. Army service He joined OTA, Chennai in Oct 1984 an ...

, soldier *

Biddanda Chengappa Nanda Lieutenant General (India), Lieutenant General Biddanda Chengappa Nanda, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, PVSM, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, AVSM was born on 12 May 1931 in Madikeri, Kodagu. His early childhood was spent on the Andaman Islands where his ...

, soldier * C.B. Ponnappa, soldier. *

Kodandera Subayya Thimayya General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya (31 March 1906 – 18 December 1965) was the 3rd Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1957 to 1961 during the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. Thimayya was the only India ...

, head of Indian Army * Pattacheruvanda C. Thimayya, soldier

Sports

Len Aiyappa Len Aiyappa (born 31 March 1979) is an Indian 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 for India du ...

- Indian field hockey player. * Neravanda Aiyappa - Cricketer * K. P. Appanna - Cricketer *

Rohan Bopanna Rohan Machanda Bopanna ( ; born 4 March 1980) is an Indian professional tennis player who specializes in doubles. He attained the List of ATP number 1 ranked doubles tennis players, world No. 1 ranking after winning his first Grand Slam (tenni ...

, Indian tennis player *

, professional cricketer *

Joshna Chinappa Joshna Chinappa (born 15 September 1986) is an Indian professional Squash (sport), squash player. She reached a career-high world ranking of #10 in 2016. She was the first Indian to win the British Junior Open Squash, British Junior Open in 20 ...

- Indian

squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...

player *

M. P. Ganesh Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh (born 8 July 1946) is a former Indian professional field hockey player and coach. He was also the captain and coach of the Indian team. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1973 and Padma Shri in 2020. He was the head c ...

(Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh), Indian hockey captain, player and coach *

B. P. Govinda Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda (born 4 March 1951) was an Indian field hockey player who played as a forward, and a former captain of the Indian national team. Career Govinda was considered one of the fastest hockey players during his time and w ...

(Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda), Indian hockey player *

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

, Indian hockey captain and player *

Ashwini Nachappa Ashwini Nachappa (born 21 October 1967) is an Indian former track and field athlete and actress from Madikeri. Nachappa gained fame around the start of the 1980s, when she outran P.T. Usha on two occasions. She has been referred to as India' ...

, Indian athlete, Arjuna awardee *

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa Jagat may refer to: * Jagat, Budaun, a block and nagar panchayat in Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India *Jagat, a village in Rajasthan, India, best known for its Ambika Mata temple *Jagat, a village in Lamjung District in the Gandaki Zone of ...

- motor racers *

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 * V. R. Raghunath (Vokkaligara Ramachandra Raghunath), Indian hockey player *

M. M. Somaya Maneyapanda Muthanna Somaya (born 8 May 1959) is a former Indian field hockey player and was employed with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. As a field hockey player, he was captain of the Indian national team and played as a halfback. He played in 3 ...

(Maneyapanda Muthanna Somaya) - Indian field hockey 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. * S. V. Sunil (Somwarpet Vittalacharya Sunil), Indian hockey player *

Robin Uthappa Robin Venu Uthappa (; ; born 11 November 1985) is an Indian former cricketer. He represented the Indian national team in One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket. Uthappa made his One Day International debut in the seventh and ...

, Indian Cricketer

Politics

K. G. Bopaiah Kombarana Ganapathy Bopaiah (born 17 October 1951) is an Indian politician who served as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. He is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has been appointed the pro tem speaker of the ...

(Kombarana Ganapathy Bopaiah), 18th Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly *

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 *

Mantar Gowda Mantar Gowda (born 1985) is an Indian politician from Karnataka. He is a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Madikeri Assembly constituency in Kodagu district. He represents Indian National Congress Party and won the 2023 Karnatak ...

MLA Madikeri *

Gundugutti Manjanathaya Gundugutti M. Manjanathaya was an Indian freedom fighter and politician. Born as G. M. Manjanath, on 2nd June, 1904, he was a prominent coffee planter and lived in the village of Gundugutti in Somwarpet taluk in Kodagu district. Freedom moveme ...

, freedom fighter and politician *

A. S. Ponnanna A. S. Ponnanna (born 1975) is an Indian politician from Karnataka. He is a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Virajpet Assembly constituency in Kodagu district. He represents Indian National Congress Party and won the 2023 Karnata ...

MLA *

C M Poonacha Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha was the Chief Minister of Coorg, Minister in Mysore State, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha), Union Railway Minister of India and Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Governor of Orissa. Freedom Movement ...

(Cheppudira Muthanna Poonacha) Gandhian, Freedom fighter, politician. *

Appachu Ranjan Mandepanda Poovaiah 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 Membe ...

, politician *

R. Gundu Rao Rama Gundu Rao (27 September 1937 – 22 August 1993) was an Indian politician who was the eighth Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1980 to 1983. A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he was appointed Chief Minister after the resigna ...

, Chief Minister of Karnataka *

N. Somanna Nidemane Somana (15 April 1905 – 25 January 1958) was an Indian politician and lawyer. He was an Indian National Congress leader in Coorg State and served as the Member of Parliament for the state in the first legislature after the independenc ...

(Nidyamale Somanna), lawyer and politician

Cinema

Daisy Bopanna Daisy Bopanna (born 4 December 1982) 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 w ...

, actress *

Shwetha Chengappa Swetha Changappa is a Kannada television actress who has acted in various tele-serials and films. She is well known for her role "Rani" in Majaa Talkies. Career She debuted her acting career through ''Sumathi'', a serial directed by S. Naraya ...

, actress *

Gulshan Devaiah Gulshan Devaiah (born 28 May 1978) 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 nom ...

Rashmika Mandanna Rashmika Mandanna (Help:IPA/Telugu, /ɾɐɕmɪkɑ mɐn̪d̪ɑn̪ːɑ/ born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who primaily works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi films. Her accolades include four South Indian International Mov ...

, actress *

Harshika Poonacha Harshika Poonacha is an Indian actress who mainly works in Kannada films. She rose to fame with the 2008 Kannada film ''PUC''. Career Harshika Poonacha started her career at the age of 15 by acting in ''PUC'' (2008 Kannada film) while she was d ...

, actress *

Prema Prema may refer to: Film * ''Prema'' (1952 film), an Indian Telugu-language film * ''Prema'' (1989 film), an Indian Telugu-language film, starring Venkatesh and Revathi * ''Prema'' (2002 film), an Indian Kannada-language film Music * ''Prema'' (a ...

, actress *

Nidhi Subbaiah Nidhi Subbaiah (born 16 February 1985) 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 * Aditi Chengappa, actress

Civil Services

A. S. Bopanna Ajjikuttira Somaiah Bopanna (born 20 May 1959) is a former judge of Supreme Court of India. He was the former chief justice of the Gauhati High Court. He was also a judge of Karnataka High Court. Over the course of his tenure on the Supreme Co ...

, Judge of Supreme court *Diwan Bahadur

Ketoli Chengappa Dewan Bahadur Ketolira Chengappa, C.I.E. (1878–1963) was an Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Chief Commissioner of Coorg Province from 1943 to 1949. Early life and education Chengappa was born on 3 March 1878 to Ketolir ...

, administrator (Chief Commissioner of Coorg province) * B. B. Ashok Kumar, Retd. Assistant Commissioner of Police of Bengaluru *

P. K. Monnappa Rao Bahadur Pemmanda K. Monnappa (P.K. Monappa, IPS) was Karnataka's first police chief. He served in three Southern states, Madras (before its disintegration), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), and Mysore (Karnataka), at different times. However, he ...

, 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 ...

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...

following

Operation Polo The Annexation of Hyderabad (code-named Operation Polo) was a military operation launched in September 1948 that resulted in the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad by India, which was dubbed a "police action". At the time of part ...

C. B. Muthamma Chonira Belliappa Muthamma (24 January 1924 – 14 October 2009) was the first woman to clear the Indian Civil Services examinations. She was also the first woman to join the Indian Foreign Service. She was the first Indian woman diplomat as w ...

, first woman officer

Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is a diplomatic service and a Central Civil Services, central civil service of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India under the Ministry of External Affairs (India), Ministry of External A ...

C. G. Somiah C. G. Somiah served as the eighth Comptroller and Auditor General of India who was known for his honesty and for his impeccable career record. He wrote a best-seller autobiography 'The honest always stand alone'. He had a long career as an IAS ...

was the first IAS Officer from

Coorg Kodagu district () (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State ...

to rise to be the Home Secretary, Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and Comptroller and Auditor General.

Religion

Swami Narayanananda Swami Narayanananda (12 April 1902 – 26 February 1988) was a teacher of Vedanta philosophy. Life and work He was born in Kongana, B. Shettigeri, a village in Coorg, Karnataka state, South India. From an early age, he practised regular m ...

Kalyatanda Ponnappa Kalyatanda Ponnappa was a 17th-century warrior of Kodagu (Coorg). Since he was deified after his death, the people of Kodagu consider him to be a god. He is also known as Kaliat-Achchappa or Kaliat Ajjappa. Early life Ponnappa was born in ...

(c.1600) religious leader and warrior *

Swami Shambhavananda Swami Shambhavananda (1894–1972) was an Republic of India, Indian Hindu monk who pioneered beekeeping in Kodagu and secondary education in Mysore. Born in Halugunda village in the Thelapanda family of Kodagu as Chengappa, Shambhavananda j ...

* Appayya Swamigalu (1885–1956), (born of Kodava parents) founder of Kaveri Ashram.

Literature

Nadikerianda Chinnappa Nadikerianda Chinnappa (1875–1931) was an Indian compiler, poet, translator, army man, police officer, cricket player, singer and philanthropist from Kodagu. Origins Ancestry The Nadikerianda clan name originated from the words ''Nadu ker ...

, folklore compiler * B D Ganapathy *

Appachcha Kavi Appachcha Kavi (born 21 September 1868, d. circa 1930) was an Indian poet and playwright. He belonged to the Kodava community and is known as the first playwright in the Kodava language. Early life Appachcha (also spelled: Appacha) was born ...

(also called Appachu Kavi), playwright *

I. M. Muthanna Dr. I. M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator; he wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava takk and studied history, folklore and international studies. He was born in Kodagu into the Kodava (Coorg) community. He spent much o ...

author and translator *

Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa are translators and scholars of Kodava studies. Their ''Pattole Palame'' was written using the Kannada script originally. It has been translated into English by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa and has been publ ...

, translators, authors

Others

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 1945) 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 ...

is a Kodava (Coorgi) by birth. He is a British Indian musician and winner of Grammy award. *

Saleem Farook Saleem Farook was an Indian tribal rights activist and social worker from Karnataka. In 1989 he started the Thuamul Rampur tribal movement in Kalahandi which fought against the issue of land alienation of the tribals in that region. On 9 June 19 ...

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

N. S. Narendra N S Narendra is the chairman and managing director of Firepro Systems Private Limited (India), FirePro Systems. He founded Firepro in 1992 with the intent of providing a professional platform in the Fire Solutions and Security space. He is a fir ...

, Firepro founder *

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 C ...

, museum curator, art historian and writer

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

Rainfall

Forest

Agriculture

Coffee and pepper production

Representation

History

Coorg in British India

Demographics

Religion

Language

Kodava people and other Kodava language speakers

Kodagu Arebhashe Gowda

Tourism

Notable people

Armed Forces

Sports

Politics

Cinema

Civil Services

Religion

Literature

Others

See also

References

Further reading

External links