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 counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

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. 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 Mysore Junction railway station, re-christened as Mysuru Junction railway station (station code: MYS) is a railway station on Mysore–Bangalore railway line serving the city of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously Mysore was connected to Bangal ...

, 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 districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...

, 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 in

( 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. Mangalore ...

( 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 Districts of Karnataka, district of Karnataka states and territories of India, state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers a ...

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 carved out from Mysore district in the year 1866, during the Commissioner's Rule of Mysore (1831-81). ...

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, Chamarajanagar District wa ...

to the east,

Kasaragod Kasaragod () is a municipal town and administrative headquarters of 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 Kerala and ...

district of Kerala in west and Kannur district of

to the southwest, and Wayanad district of Kerala to the south. It is a hilly district, the lowest elevation 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 elevation ...

, 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 range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...

(Cauvery), which originates at Talakaveri, 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 r ...

(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 (Kaveri) * Barapole ( Valapattanam River) *

Kumaradhara The Kumaradhara River is an Indian river, in the southwestern India state of Karnataka. 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 majo ...

(

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 o ...

)

Peaks

* Tadiyandamol * Kumara Parvatha * Brahmagiri *

Kote Betta Kote may refer to: * Kotë, a place in Albania * Kote, Karnataka, a village in India * Köte, a charcoal burner's hut in Germany's Harz Mountains * Kote, a pair of mitts worn when practicing kendo * KOTE is a radio station in Eureka, Kansas, playin ...

* Kabbe Hill * Mandalpatti *

Nishane Motte Nishan was a Polabian Slavic tribe that inhabited the basin of Elbe river near Dresden. They most likely were in the union with Glomatian tribe.Lech Leciejewicz (red.), ''Mały słownik kultury dawnych Słowian''. p. 262. They were conquered by Ho ...

* Malethirike

Administrative divisions

Taluks

The district is divided into five administrative taluks: * Madikeri *

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 abbreviatio ...

* Somwarpet * Ponnampet *

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 Madikeri and

. M P Appachu Ranjan represents the Madikeri constituency while

K. G. Bopaiah Kombarana Ganapathy Bopaiah (born 17 October 1951) is an Indian politician who was also the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. He is a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been appointed pro tem speaker of the Legislat ...

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 Modi ...

. 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-past ...

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 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–Ker ...

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 la ...

. ''Karkanadu'' consisted of Wayanad- Gudalur hilly region with parts of Kodagu (Coorg). The

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 ...

, an offshoot of the

Keladi Nayakas Nayakas of Keladi (1499–1763), also known as Nayakas of Bednore and Ikkeri Nayakas, were an Indian dynasty based in Keladi in present-day Shimoga district of Karnataka, India. They were an important ruling dynasty in post-medieval Karnata ...

, ruled Kodagu between 1600 and 1834. Later the British ruled Kodagu from 1834, after the Coorg War, 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 (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.

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 capita ...

or the US state of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, 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 south ...

. 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 devia ...

of 1019 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 language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

, 14.86% Kodava, 8.92%

Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...

, 5.81%

Are Are commonly refers to: * Are (unit), a unit of area equal to 100 m2 Are, ARE or Åre may also refer to: Places * Åre, a locality in Sweden * Åre Municipality, a municipality in Sweden **Åre ski resort in Sweden * Are Parish, a municipa ...

, 4.66%

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

, 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, nati ...

, 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 two ...

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 Billavas,

Mogaveeras The Mogaveera, or Mogavira is a subcaste of the Koli caste living in the Karnataka state of India. They dominated maritime activities in coastal Karnataka. History Mogaveera means a warrior who after the demolition of the kingdom continue ...

, 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 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 ...

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 and other communities in the region Madikeri, Somwarpet, and Virajpet taluks of Kodagu district, Sullia, taluks of Dakshina Kannada district; ...

a dialect of

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

. 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 and

Murdeshwar Murdeshwar is a town in Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India, It is famous for the world's second tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwara Temple. The town h ...

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 Kar ...

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 int ...

. 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,

Dubare Dubare is a forest camp on the banks of the river Kaveri in the district of Kodagu, Karnataka. See also * Suntikoppa * Bylakuppe * Kaveri Nisargadhama * Kushalanagar Kushalanagara or Kushalnagar is a city located in the Kodagu distri ...

, Nagarahole National Park, Iruppu Falls, and the Tibetan Buddhist Golden Temple. * Talakaveri 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 dist ...

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 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. Iruppu Falls 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., 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 or ...

, 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 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 ...

is a national park and wildlife resort. * Madikeri is the capital of the district and

Raja's Seat Raja's Seat (Seat of the King) is a culturally significant site and tourist attraction in Madikeri of Coorg District. It is 270km away from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. Raja's Seat is located in the middle of a garden called as Gandhi ...

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 Southea ...

. The building was funded by the Government of

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, 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 Britain ...

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. *

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. * Abbey Falls is a scenic waterfall 5 km from Madikeri. 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 several wa ...

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 oscil ...

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 * ''T ...

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

Notable people

Armed Forces

* Field Marshal

K. M. Cariappa ' Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. He led Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. He was appoin ...

, 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 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 ...

Army Martyr * Lieutenant General

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 f ...

, GOC-in-C Northern Command, Karnataka Rajyaotsava Awardee * Lieutenant General C.B. Ponnappa, Adjutant General of the Indian Army. * Air Marshal

K. C. Cariappa Air Marshal Kodandera Cariappa 'Nanda' Cariappa is a former Air Officer in the Indian Air Force. He is the son of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post-independence. Military career Air Mar ...

* Lieutenant General

Pattacheruvanda C. Thimayya Lieutenant General Pattacheruvanda Chengappa Thimayya, PVSM, VSM, ADC is a former General Officer in the Indian Army. He was the 21st General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Army Training Command. He assumed office on 1 November 2018 f ...

, former

General Officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

in the Indian Army

Sports

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. He was the head coach of the India hockey ...

(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 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 fourte ...

(Anjaparavanda Bopaiah Subbaiah) - Indian field hockey goalkeeper and coach. *

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. *

S. V. Sunil Somwarpet Vittalacharya Sunil (born 6 May 1989) is an Indian professional field hockey player who plays for the Indian national team. He represented India during the 2012 London Olympics and won silver with them at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. ...

(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 former ...

(Vokkaligara Ramachandra Raghunath), Indian hockey player *

Ashwini Nachappa Ashwini Nachappa (born 21 October 1967) is an Indian former track and field athlete and actress from Karnataka. 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 * Rohan Bopanna, Indian tennis player * Ashwini Ponnappa, Indian badminton player * Robin Uthappa, Indian Cricketer *

, 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 player * Len Aiyappa - Indian field hockey player.

Politics

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 C ...

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

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 *

(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, first woman Mayor of Bangalore, Rajya Sabha MP

Cinema

* Prema, 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. Naray ...

, actress *

Rashmika Mandanna Rashmika Mandanna (born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada films besides few Hindi and Tamil films. She is a recipient of four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. She made her acting debut wi ...

, actress * Nidhi Subbaiah, 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 Fine A ...

, actress *

Harshika Poonachha Harshika Poonacha is an Indian actress born on 1 May 1993 who mainly works in Kannada and Bhojpuri 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'' (20 ...

, 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 Award ...

Civil Services

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 wel ...

, first woman officer Indian Foreign Service * Rao Bahadur Pemmanda K. Monnappa, first Inspector General of Police of

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of 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 t ...

following Operation Polo * (Tiger) Ashok Kumar, Retd. Assistant Commissioner of Police of Bengaluru *

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 Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karu ...

, Judge of Supreme court *

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 (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. It occupies ...

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 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 i ...

(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 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 ...

Swami Shambhavananda Swami Shambhavananda (1894–1972) was an 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 joined the Ramakr ...

Literature

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

(also called Appachu Kavi), playwright *

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 *

B D Ganapathy Bācamāḍa Ḍevaiah Gaṇapati (1920–1997) was an Indian writer, scholar and journalist writing in English, Kannada and Kodava Takk, covering religion, anthropology and philosophy. He is particularly noted for his coverage of the Kodagu (Co ...

I. M. Muthanna Dr. I. M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator; he wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava takk The Kodava (''Kodava takk'', meaning 'speech of Kodavas', in the Kodava language, alternate name: Coorgi, Kodagu) is a ...

author and translator *

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 keri ...

, folklore compiler

Others

Kodagina Gowramma Gowramma (1912–1939), better known as Kodagina Gowramma, was an Indian writer who wrote in Kannada and lived in Kodagu. She was a feminist and supporter of the Indian Freedom Movement. Life Gowramma was born in 1912 to N.S Ramayya and Nanjam ...

, noted writer *

Guddemane Appaiah Gowda Guddemane Appaiah Gowda was an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary, he instated a peasant army from Kodagu and became its commander in-chief to lead the Amara Sullia Rebellion in 1837. They were successful in hoisting the native flag af ...

, 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 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 ...

, tribal rights activist * Nima Poovaya-Smith, museum curator, art historian and writer *

N. S. Narendra N S Narendra is the chairman and managing director of FirePro Systems FirePro may refer to: * FirePro Systems, a fire engineering company based in Europe; see Automatic fire suppression * Firepro Systems (India) * AMD FirePro, a graphics car ...

, 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