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

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 ...

. One of the two major rivers of

Sullia Sullia (also known as Sulya) is a town in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Sullia taluk. Sullia taluk is one of the seven talukas of Dakshina Kannada district. Its administrative ...

, it merges with the

Netravati 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 ...

Uppinangadi Uppinangady or Ubar is a town in the Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by the Kumaradhara River on one side and Nethravathi River on the other. When the town's two surrounding rivers rise during the rainy s ...

before flowing to the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. The merging of the rivers is a major event for the local villagers, as they crowd the river banks to watch what they call the "Sangama", which is a Sanskrit word for

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

. The river is a chief tributary of

Netravati 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 ...

. Kumaradhara originates in

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 ...

in Kodagu district, at an elevation of 1600 metres above mean sea level. Along its course it creates the beautiful Mallalli falls. It passes through lush evergreen forest of Western Ghats, fed by numerous smaller streams. It merges into Netravati at Uppinangadi in

Dakshin 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 ...

at an elevation of 40 metres above mean sea level. The total length of river is about 80 kilometres. The river passes through two major towns; Kukke Subrahmanya and Uppinangadi. It is believed that pilgrims visiting the Kukke Subrahmanya Temple in

Subrahmanya Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

, must cross the Kumaradhara River, taking a holy bath in it before they go on to the temple to have

Darśana Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson (20 ...

. A 3 mega-watt Beedalli mini Hydel project has been built in the upstream of Mallalli waterfall. This causes safety concern about the tourists visiting the waterfalls.

References

Rivers of Karnataka Geography of Dakshina Kannada district Rivers of India {{India-river-stub