Madikeri is a hill station town in Madikeri taluk and headquarters of Kodagu district in

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 ''Kar ...

, India.

Etymology

Madikeri was known as ''Muddu Raja Keri'', which meant Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king Mudduraja who ruled Kodagu from 1633 to 1687. From 1834, during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

, it was called ''Mercara''. It was later renamed to Madikeri by the

Government of Mysore 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 ...

History

The history of Madikeri is related to the history of Kodagu. From the 2nd to the 6th century AD, the northern part of Kodagu was ruled by Kadambas. The southern part of Kodagu was ruled by Gangas from the 4th to the 11th century. After defeating the Gangas in the 11th century, Cholas became the rulers of Kodagu. In the 12th century, the Cholas lost Kodagu to the

Hoysala The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later move ...

s. Kodagu fell to the Vijayanagar kings in the 14th century. After their fall, the local chieftains like Karnambahu (''Palegars'') started ruling their areas directly. They were defeated by Haleri Dynasty founder Veeraraju, (Nephew of Ikkeri Sadashiva Nayaka who were descendants of Talakadu Ganga Dynasty). In the year 1700 AD Ikkeri Somashekara Nayaka gifted Puttur and Amara Sullia Magnes of Tulunadu to Haleri Kings. Descendants of Veeraraju who are known as "

Haleri Dynasty The Kingdom of Coorg (or Kingdom of Kodagu) was an independent kingdom that existed in India from the 16th century until 1834. It was ruled by a branch of the Ikkeri Nayaka. From 1780 to 1788, the kingdom was occupied by neighbouring Mysore b ...

" ruled Kodagu from 1600 to 1834 AD. Haleri king Mudduraja built the Fort in Madikeri and made it as their capital. Mudduraja, the third Haleri king started leveling the land around Madikeri and built a fort in the year 1681. Madikeri Fort which was original built of mud and was replaced by Tipu Sultan. Kodagu became a part of

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 1834 AD. P.A. Mohideen is the Municipal President of the city of Madikeri.

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

, Madikeri had a population of 33,381. Males constitute 57.2% of the population and females 42.8%. Madikeri had an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national average of 69.3: male literacy was 83%, and female literacy 80%. 11% of the population was under 6 years of age.

Geography and climate

Madikeri features a tropical highland climate as it has an elevation of . Madikeri is located at . Madikeri lies in the Western Ghats and is a popular hill station. The nearest cities are Hassan to the north, Mangaluru to the west, and Mysuru to the east.

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a Cities in India, 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 a ...

from Kerala is about away. The nearest international airport is Kannur International Airport which is away. The mean daily minimum temperature is lowest in January at about . Maximum temperature in summer is around .Ground Water Information Booklet
Ministry of Water Resources, 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2011. With the onset of the south-west monsoon, the temperature decreases in June and the weather becomes chilly. The lowest temperature recorded is . Raja seat madikeri

Tourist Attraction

* Raja's Seat * Sri Omkareshwara Temple * Madikeri Fort * Gaddide ( Raja's Tomb) * General Thimmaiah War Museum * Abbey Falls * Mandalpatti view point

References

External links

*
Madikeri.org: Portal on Madikeri and Coorg

Madikeri: History and Architecture
{{Authority control Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2001 All articles containing potentially dated statements Kodava people Kodava Takk Cities and towns in Kodagu district Populated places in the Western Ghats Tourism in Karnataka Hill stations in Karnataka Hills of Karnataka Former capital cities in India Geography of Kodagu district Tourist attractions in Kodagu district