Kodagu..the land of worriers..An orange country.. A one stop tourism spot with a different culture...

Kodagu (anglicized as Coorg), a fertile mountainous region of Karnataka blessed with natural beauty, is the birthplace of Kaveri River. Nestled in the Sahyadri Mountains of the Western Ghats, this rugged and hilly region is inhabited by a unique group of people with martial traditions. They are a relatively a small community called Kodavas (Coorgs or Coorgis). The Kodavas have fiercely guarded their tradition and customs as well as their uniqueness. Kodavas are the dominant class living in Kodagu though they only form about 15 to 20 percent of the population. There are 100,000 Kodavas in Kodagu with a total population of 545,000. They co-exist with people of other castes and tribes peacefully that include the Yeravas, Kurubas, the aborigines called Kudiyas, the lower caste called Poleyas. The region was later settled by Vokkaligas from Hassan and Chikmagalur, Shettys from Dakshina Kannada, who were businessmen and Mapilles (Moplahs), who are the Islamic converts left over from Hyder Ali and Tippu’s era.

The Kodavas are reputed to be handsome and hospitable, and are hunters and harvesters. In their customs and worship they distinguish themselves as quite different as compared to Hindus, with whom they now identify. They have carved out their own unique society. Kodavas are people who are fond of song, dance and merriment. They have a rich collection of folk songs fit for every occasion, like birth, marriage and festivals.

The Land

Kodagu is a small mountainous region on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. The average altitude ranges from 3000 to 5500 feet. The highest peak is Thadiyanda Mol at 5729 feet. Kodagu is bordered by Tulu speaking Dakshina Kannada to its Northwest, Kannada speaking Hassan District to the North and Mysore to the Northeast. To the South and Southwest are the Malayalam speaking Kannur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala. Thus all three languages have had an impact on Kodagu. The region is drenched with heavy rainfall, along with the coastal Karnataka, a result of the deluge of Southwest Monsoon.

This abundant rainfall has resulted in lush forest growth that is typical of the Western Ghats with its rain forest in this range of mountains. The heavy rainfall is also conducive to growing rice paddy in flatter areas. The wet slopes are also ideal for growing coffee beans. Some of the best coffee estates in South India, first established by the British, are to be found in Kodagu. A drive through the thoroughfare certainly will reward one with natural scenic beauty of canopies of trees and expansive scenery of the mountains. It is also not unusual to see coffee plantations, pregnant with red berries on either sides of the road. Coffee, cardamom, pepper, orange, timber and honey known as ‘Coorg Honey' are the major products of Kodagu. Tea, rubber. Arecanut, coconut, citrus fruits, pineapple, papaya, plantain, piggery and poultry are other products fueling its economy. Kodagu, which is a district of Karnataka State, has three Taluks namely Madikeri, Somavarapete and Virajapete.

Igguthappa Temple, Kakkabe

The Padi Igguthappa temple, one of most important temple of Kodavs - the tribal inhabitants in Kakkabe, is dedicated to Iguthappa, another name for Lord Subramanya. The devotees believe in the miracles by Iguthappa, where any one can ask for anything from this super power God.

Farmers in and around this area usually offer prayers and offerings for rains during the famous Annual festival in the temple conducted during the month of March. Tulabhara, weighing oneself against fruits, sugar, coconuts, rice etc, is an important offering here. This temple governs significant role in the cultural and traditional life of the place.

Roadtrip to Coorg

Coorg is often referred to as the Scotland of India, the land fragranced by the strong whiff of coffee, the aroma of fresh cardamom, pepper, mixed with a dash of honey. The land of the lovely Kodagu people has all the makings for a wonderful holiday; an excellent break from the hustle bustle world of today. Unfortunately we did not pick the right time for our trip, and ended up with egg fuyong on our face. Serves us right.

Getting there:
Coorg is in south-western tip of Karnataka bordering Tamilnadu and Kerala. It's situated on the western ghats of South India. The only way into Coorg is by road. International travelers could fly down either to Bangalore or Mangalore, before embarking on a road trip. If rail is your preference, then one could take a train to Mysore, Mangaore or Hassan and drive down from there. Since we drove down from Bangalore, I can comment only on this sector.

The best way into Coorg is via the Mysore Expressway - which unfortunately is still under construction, and by the way things get done around here shouldn't be ready until the third Monday of Summer 2007. The road is a mix of wonderful stretches of freshly tarred road, and just when you are about to pay a compliment you realize that the lanes merge and its back to trying to avoid oncoming trucks and busses overtaking each other; it's like the signs on the route say "today's inconvenience is tomorrow's comfort".

An early morning start from Bangalore would ensure that you'd be in Coorg in around five to six hours - an hour's delay after eight would result in a two hour delay in reaching your destination as the traffic on the expressway increases exponentially, and if the traffic don't kill you, the heat will. Driving at night will have its own share of problems, with most drivers using high beam on the highway. The expressway has loads of nasty unmarked speed breakers which makes them difficult to spot even during the day - I cant imagine driving under these conditions at night.

The route we took is Bangalore, Ramanagaram, Chennapatna, Mandya, Srirangapatna, Hunsur, Kushalnagar, Bylakuppe, Madikeri. We took the West of Chord road to Srirangapatna via the Mysore Expressway. Right after Srirangapatna we took a exit which heads to the Nagarhole National Park. This route (SH88) lead us to Madikeri bypassing Mysore via Hunsur Road - which is pretty decent. Unfortunately most of the road signs are written only in Kannada so do ask around. You will find locals more than happy to help you with directions even if you don't know the language.

We stopped over at Bylakuppe to visit the Tibetan monastery and golden temple - which was absolutely fantastic. We were magically transported Tibet; with the calmness in the temple, and the aroma of fresh momo's steaming in the midday sun. Bylakuppe consists of seven camps which are spread over many acres. Before you reach Kushalnagar you'll notice an arch which takes you to the temple (which is in camp four). We found a descent Tibetan restaurant in camp one, which served a variety of local delicacies. Around thirty kilometers on and you would reach Madikeri. We didn't as we took an early exit into Santikuppe to our home stay.

Things to do / Places to see:

Madikeri: is the capital of Coorg. Over the years it has become more and more touristy with it’s dense forests, serene hills, coffee plantations, and friendly people.

Kakkabe: is famous for being the largest producer of honey in the whole of south east Asia. It also boasts of the Padi Igutappa temple. Kakkabe is around two hours from Madikeri city center.

Bhagamandala Temple: can be found at the point of convergence of the rivers Cauvery, and Sujyothi and the Kanike. The Bhangandeshwara temple here has a distinct Kerala façade. Because of the three rivers, it is also called Triveni Sangam. The serene temple has intricate carvings and a copper roof. A dip at the Triveni Sangam nearby is supposed to revive sagging spirits, but take prior permission at the temple.

Telecauvery: is the origin of one of the most sacred rivers in India – the Cauvery which passes through two States. It can be found 47 km from Madikeri and 9 km from Bhagamandala. This source can be found atop the Brahmagiri hill, where one can enjoy a spectacular view of Coorg.

Abbi Falls: which is around ten kilometers from Madikeri. The road is narrow and uphill, we found the local drivers pretty relaxed and patient; much unlike the Bangalore variety with their "hey, my car has a horn so I must honk it" mentality. The signboards will lead you from the city center to the falls. One has to walk down a flight of irregular stairs for around ten minutes to get to the fall itself. Depending on the time of the year the falls will either be lush, or be a trickle. Unfortunately in our case it was the latter. The lack of any security meant that visitors could wash themselves, their clothes, vessels, and anything else they could think of in the river. The entire estate had garbage strewn all over, which shows the scant disregard of the tourism officials. Needless to say that we stayed there only for ten minutes.

Dhubare Elephant Training Camp: which is around forty kilometers from Madikeri. On the Madikeri to Kushalnagar road there is an exit on the right to the Sidhapur road. After around ten kilometers on the Sidhapur road there is an exit on the left which takes you to the camp. Unfortunately this road does not have any signs, so you may have to ask the locals. Just remember not to use the word "Camp" as the rest of the sentence is ignored and you will be given directions to the Tibetan camp. One can take a coracle to the island or walk over the rocks which join the island to the main land. Tickets for the coracle ride are around fifteen rupees, and the entry to the island is four rupees per head. The main attraction of the training camp is the elephant bath which takes place every morning from eight to nine; after that there isn't much to do unless you are interested in an elephant ride. Instead of re-tracing your route back to Madikeri a better option would be to continue on the Sidhapur road towards Valnoor. Take a right at the first bustop in Valnoor which would take you to the scenic Sidhapur Madikeri highway.

Rajah's Seat: This is smack in the middle of the city, and can be walked to from the city center. Rajah's seat is situated on a cliff which gives you an unrestricted view of the many mountains of the area, in the evenings one can enjoy a beautiful sunset. But the place is very commercial and usually is packed with tourists and locals alike every evening.

Madikeri Fort: is one of Tipu Sultan’s stronghold as he ruled this region in the 18th century. The fort can reached on foot from the city center. The fort houses a temple, a chapel, a prison and a museum.

Nagarhole National Park: is one of the best sanctuaries in southern India, providing habitat to several indigenous animals like elephants, tigers, deer, and monkeys. One can enjoy a jungle safari atop an elephant for a small fare. It is around ninety kilometers from Madikeri.

Irpu Falls: can be found in Brahmagiri hills in the south of Coorg around ninety kilometers from Madikeri. The river Lakshmanatirtha falls over a cliff which is called Irpu falls. This place is believed to have the power to wash away your sins, so as you can imagine can get quite crowded. One can also visit the Ram temple in the vicinity. This place can be visited from Gonikopal on the way to Nagerhole National Park by taking a detour after Srimangala, situated in the Kutta Road.

Food:
Local delicacies include pork curry, and rice cakes. Absolutely delicious! I'm sure there are some vegetarian tidbits as well, but I have absolutely no idea what they are.

Stay:
A few hotels to stay at in Madikeri, and many home stays away from the city. Getting to the home stays would be next to impossible if you don't have your car. For those seeking luxury Orange County and Club Mahendra are the places to stay.

Shopping:
Madikeri plays host to a Market on Fridays where you can sample the local spices, like pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, along with a wide variety of coffees, fresh fruits and veggies. Along with coffee and spices, Coorg is also famous for its Honey. All these can be found in stores in the city center.

Restaurants:
Nothing that tickled our fancy.

Nightlife:
Coorg is a sleepy district, and most will hit the sack early and wake up to the sunrise.

Best Time to Visit:
The Best Time to visit Coorg is from November to April. The temperature variations experienced at Coorg are not major. The climate remains fairly pleasant throughout the year. Make sure you carry along some woolens in case you plan to visit in winter.

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