Coorg

Overview:

Coorg is the anglicized former name of Kodagu. Occupying an area of approximately 4,102 square kilometers of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka, Kodagu is the least populous of the 30 administrative districts in the state of Karnataka in India. Kodagu is renowned throughout the world for its coffee and "brave warriors", such as Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa. The district of Coorg is bordered by the district of ‘Dakshina Kannada’ to the northwest, to the north by Hassan district, Mysore district lies to its east, the district of Kannur in Kerala to the southwest, and the district of Wayanad in Kerala to the south. Madikeri is the headquarters of Kodagu district. Coorg is the refuge of the native speakers of the Kodava language. The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy states that apart from Kodava Heggade and the Kodavas, eighteen other ethnic groups speak Kodava Takk in and around the district including Koyava, Banna, Iri, Madivala, Kembatti, Hajama and Meda. Since the language had no script a German linguist - Gregg M. Cox recently developed a completely new writing system called Coorgi-Cox alphabet, for the language. This script is being used by numerous individuals within Kodagu district. Interestingly, despite being known as the land of "brave warriors" and home to the Indian warrior caste, Kodagu wasn’t ruled by indigenous rulers for long as the Kodavas would appoint an outsider, as an administrator who was still answerable to the Kodava chiefs. Sited on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, at an average elevation of 1200 meters above sea-level the hilly district enjoys a blissful climate almost throughout the year. However the best season to visit Coorg is from the months of October to April. Originating at Talakaveri, Kaveri is the main river in Kodagu. The river flows on the eastern side of the Western Ghats, while its tributaries gush through the greater part of Kodagu. People visiting Bangalore often make a trip to Coorg, to spend a few days amidst nature’s bounty. This beautiful hill station and a weekend getaway is about 250 kilometers from Bangalore. The drive from Bangalore to Coorg is a solid five hours of blissful driving, with the roads twisting and winding against the backdrop of scenic landscapes comprising of verdant beauty and the occasional settlements. Usually people hire cabs from Bangalore to Coorg for their entire journey. Bangalore taxis ensure a smooth, comfortable and resplendent journey at economical fares.

Places of interest:

Coorg boasts of dense teak wood forests, splendid coffee plantations, and lush green valleys. One of the major tourist attractions here is the Talakaveri, the place of origin of the Cauveri River. There is also a temple on the bank of the river, one of the two in India dedicated to Brahma. Nisargadhama is a wildlife sanctuary and picnic spot on a manmade island on the Cauveri. The island is connected to the mainland by a rope bridge. Coorg is also famous for Gaddige, a king’s tomb that is very popular among historians. The tomb boasts of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

Tourists can opt for car hire to visit the Madikeri Fort, which was initially built by Muddaraja as a mud fort, and later rebuilt in granite by Tipu Sultan. The fort has witnessed many a fierce battles. It boasts marvelous architecture with two masonry elephants at the north-eastern entrance. The fort offers wonderful views of the township from the walls. Abbey Falls in Madikeri is also very well-known. The waters of the mighty Cuaveri cascading down from a height of 70 feet create a sight to behold. Bhagamandala is a temple town in Madikeri situated at the confluence of the Cauveri and its two tributaries Kanake and Sujyoti.

Considered rich with wildlife, Kodagu has three wildlife sanctuaries - the Talakaveri, Brahmagiri and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuaries; and one national park - the Nagarhole National Park alternatively called as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park. These sanctuaries and park possess a rich variety of flora and fauna. The wide variety of flora includes Michelia champaca, Mesua, Diospyros, Toona ciliata, Chukrasia tabularis, Rubus and roses, amongst others. Wild animals such as the Asian elephant, tiger, dhole, gaur, leopard, boar, and several species of deer can be spotted in the wilderness. A wide variety of birds are also found here, approximately 300 bird species have been sighted over the years.

Nisargadhama, Iruppu Falls, Abbey Falls, Mallalli falls, Bhagamandala, Dargah Sharief, Mandalapatti and Omkareshwara Temple are some of the other tourist attractions of Coorg.

Since Coorg has a lot many places to explore, car rentals is the best way of travelling in and around the place.

Things to do:

Coorg also offers a lot of activities for adventurous tourists. It has a number of trekking trails for both novices as well as experts. One such trekking trail, Dubbare, takes people through the woods and leads them to the Irrupa Falls, which is yet another major tourist attraction in Coorg. People can also go rock climbing on the Kakkabe. Eco-tourism which includes walking and trekking tours, take advantage of the plantation buildings which have been converted into guest-houses.

The Forest Department maintains an elephant-capturing and training camp at the edge of the forest of Dubare; on the bank of Kaveri River along the Kushalanagara - Siddapur road, simply called as Dubare. Visitors can undertake river rafting and elephant safaris, here.

After the Baba Budangiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district, Kodagu is the second chief coffee production region in India. Majority of Kodagu’s region is used for agriculture. Shopping in Coorg means buying local spices and food condiments especially honey, coffee and vanilla essence. Apart from this tourists can also purchase entire sets or part of the traditional Kodagu ensemble. ‘Peechekath’ which is an ornately carved silver dagger can be purchased as souvenirs. The unique Saree and blouse in various combinations along with brooches can also be purchased.

The native ethnic group of Kodavas chiefly populate Coorg. The citizens of Kodagu like their Indian counterparts are polytheists and worship many deities, such as Bhagwathi, Iggutappa, Mahadeva, Subramanya, Bhadrakali and Ayyappa. Numerous festivals are celebrated in Coorg with great festivities and enthusiasm.

Among the chief festivals is Kailpodhu. It is celebrated on 3^rd of September each year, signifying the completion of the transplantation of the rice crops. The festival officially begins eighteen days after the sun enters the western sign of Leo. Kail translates into weapon or armory while Pold means festival. The festival also signifies the day when men should make preparations for guarding their crop from wild boars and other animals. On the day of Kailpoldu, the weapons are taken out of the Pooja room and are cleansed and decorated with flowers. They are then placed in the main hall of the house. Each member of the family bathes before worshipping the weapons after which feasting and drinking ensues. The whole family along with their friends and relatives gather in the mand (open ground), where physical contests and sports are conducted. Marksmanship is also tested, by shooting a coconut tied from the branch of a tall tree.

The festival of Kaveri Sankramana normally takes place in mid-October. It is associated with the river Kaveri, which gushes through the district from its source of origin at Talakaveri. At a predetermined time, when the sun enters ‘Tula Rasi’, a fountain from a small tank fills the bigger holy tank at Talakaveri. Thousands of devotees gather to take a dip in the holy water. The water, is collected and distributed in bottles, to every home throughout Kodagu district, to be preserved. The dying receive a spoonful of this water, in the belief that they will attain ‘moksha’. The menu of the day includes ‘dosa’ and vegetable curry and a sweet dish called payasa. Only vegetarian food is cooked on this day, and it is the only festival among the Kodavas where in only vegetarian food is prepared and served.

Puttari or the rice harvest festival takes place in late November or early December. Preparations and celebrations for the festival begin a week in advance. Other festivals that are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety are Diwali, Id and Ganesh Chaturthi.