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Kote Betta
 This is the third highest peak in Kodagu District (5400 ft above sea
level) Trekking distance 14 kms to and fro; 22 kms from Madikeri (Near
Madapura) Kotebetta which measures 5400 ft is the third highest peak in
Coorg. kotebetta is about 22 from Kms Madikeri and is located in Madapur
which is in between Somwarpet & Madikeri. Kotebetta ranks third after
Thadiyandamol and Bramhagiri peaks in Coorg. Kotebetta is a perfect
place for trekking in Coorg. The best season for trekking is from
October to March. A guide will definitely be of help during trekking. No
permission is required to trek Kotebetta, any one can go trekking with
proper trekking equipments and gadgets. The most important thing to
carry is a torch, wear proper shoes, insect repellants, and a fist aid
kid without fail.
The Fort
The fort is situated in the center of the town, on top of a hillock.
Built by Lingaraja during the 19th century, now it houses the state
government offices, the law courts and the public library. The ancient
Ganesha temple, the statue of two elephants, the stone turtle in the
courtyard is reminiscent of history. A chapel built by the British after
the accession in 1834 houses a museum. A visit to this museum will give
an insight into the history of Kodagu.
Raja Seat
Perched atop a hill, overlooking a wide valley is the place where the
kings of yore spent their evenings, watching the spectacular sunset and
mesmerizing view of the valley around. An early morning visit, bracing
the chilly breeze gives a glimpse of the hilltops rising above the
mist-covered valley to kiss the sky. Next to this beautiful park is the
300year old temple of Kundurumotte Chowti Mariamma.
Gandhi Mantap
A memorial to the father of the nation built at the site where Mahatma
Gandhi sat and addressed the people of Madikeri during his visit in
1932.
Omkareshwara Temple
This temple built by Lingaraja in 1820 is a perfect blend of Islamic and
Gothic styles of architecture. The temple is dedicated to Lord Siva, and
the Siva Linga brought from Kashi (Varanasi) has been installed here.
Legend has it that the king built the temple to absolve himself of his
wrong doings.
Gaddige
Gaddige or the tombs of Virarajendra and Lingarajendra at Madikeri is
one of the important monuments of Coorg. The royal tombs on a hillock to
the north of Madikeri provides a commanding view of the town.
Lingarajendra's tomb was built in 1820. There are also the tombs of a
Raja's priest and that of two army commanders. A commemorative plaque,
eulogizing the bravery of General Biddanda Bopu who fought.
Tipu Sultan has been recorded by Dodda Veerarajendra in an inscription.
The tombs are in the style of Muhammadan edifices with domes in the
center and turrets at the angles. The bars of windows made of brass have
fine engravings.
Abby Falls
About 8 Kms from Madikeri is the beautiful waterfall and picnic spot,
where the Abbey cascades 70 ft down to flow as a small river. A path
through coffee and cardamom plantation off the main road adds to the
attraction of the perennial waterfall. Enjoy the gushing, roaring beauty
but a desire to take a dip in the cool waters may prove to be risky.
Cauvery Nisarga Dhama
Forest department is maintaining this wonderful picnic spot, on the
banks of river Cauvery, near Kushalnagar. The hanging bridge, pedal boat
center, tree top shelters, elephant safari, deer park is the main
attractions of Cauvery Nisargadhama. Forest Department provides bamboo
cottages and brick cottages for tourists. Situated at a distance of 2
kms from Kushalnagar on the Mysore-Madikeri Road. This is a man-made
island with an area of 65 acres. It has huge hanging bridge at the
entrance of this spot.
Harangi
A reservoir with picturesque spot is one of the main attractive tourist
centre at a distance of 9 kms from Kushalnagar. Best season to visit is
between August and December. Private buses are available or you can hire
a taxi from Kushalnagar.
Dubare Forest
Another picnic spot near Kushalnagar on the banks of river Cauvery.
Elephant Training camp belonging to forest department is situated here
and they allow you to feed and bath the elephats. River Cauvery comes
under Mahasheer fishing area, supported by Coorg Wild Life Society. This
island situated near Kushalnagar is not connected by public transport.
Hire a taxi from Kushalnagar.
Golden Temple
This comprises of two universities and two monasteries and is inhabited
by Tibetian Monks. This is situated near kushalnagar, 40 Kms from
Madapur and known as "Byle Kuppe". Bylukuppa, a nearby village of
Kushalnagar (belongs to Mysore district) houses refugees from Tibet.
Although refugees, Tibetians have kept their culture and heritage
intact. Tourists can witness their way of life, architecture; even taste
Tibetian dishes and Tibetian handicrafts are also available. Regular
buses operate from Kushalnagar to Periyapatna via Bylukuppa.
Irupu Falls
This refreshing Irupu Falls is situated at a distance of 48 kms from
Virajpet on the way to Nagarhole. The Shiva temple here is said to have
been dedicated by Lord Rama himself on the banks of River
Lakshmanatheertha a tributary to the river Cauvery. This place is
believed to cleanse one's sins and is visited by thousands of devotees
from far places on Shivaratri day. There is temple dedicated to Sri Ram,
surrounded by paddy fields, from where it is a climb up to the falls
through natural forest.
Talacauvery
Talacauvery is the birthplace of the sacred river Cauvery. It is
situated on the slopes of the Brahmagiri Hills, and can be reached by a
motorable road from Bhagamandala, which is at a distance of 8 kms. There
are temples dedicated to Ishwara & Ganapathi at the source of Cauvery.
The "Tula Sankramana" day (usually falling in the month of October) is
regarded as the most auspicious day for visiting Talacauvery.
There is a small square tank (Cauvery Kundike) by the side of a fairly
big tank in Talacauvery, which is the source of the river. It is
believed that on the day of the "Tula Sankramana", at an auspicious
moment, the holy Cauvery appears, and that her arrival is indicated by a
sudden upsurge of the water in the pond. Near the source of Cauvery one
can climb up about 300 feet to the summit of the Brahmagiri peak where,
it is said, the seven great sages meditated. From the top of the hill
one can feast his eyes with splendid display of nature. Apart from its
importance as a centre of pilgrimage Talacauvery is an ideal place for a
visit by any tourist, for its natural beauty.
Chelvara Falls
Chelvara Falls located at a distance of 16 kms from Virajpet, the
Chelvara falls is one of the most beautiful water falls of Kodagu. The
Water here plunges in two different streams. Just 2 kms from the falls
is the 'Chomakund' hill, renowned for its mind boggling scenic beauty.
Nagarahole
The Nagarahole game sanctuary was constituted in 1955, and extends over
111 sq. miles of reserved forests in the eastern region of the district.
The game sanctuary comprises three forest ranges namely, Nagarahole,
Kallahalla & Thitimathi. The sanctuary is situated at the distance of
105 kms from Madikeri, and is close to Heggadadevanakote of Mysore
district. It is accessible by a good all weather motorable road from
Thithimati, which branches of from Mysore & Madikeri.
There is a forest lodge here. The
sanctuary affords an excellent opportunity to the visitors to see wild
animals of all kinds, from the majestic elephant and the graceful deer
to the wily Jackal moving about in their natural surroundings unmindful
of intruders. Most of the South Indian species of animals are
represented in the game sanctuary, wild Elephants, Bison, Spotted Deer,
Sambur, barking Deer, wild Pig and sloth Bear are commonly met with.
Tigers and Panthers are also occasionally seen. The elephant camps of
forest department, on the banks of the Lakshmanatheertha river, are
another attraction to the visitors. There is a motor van for the visitor
to go round the sanctuary and provision of other facility.
Thadiyandamol Hill
 Tadiandamol (5,724 ft) is the highest peak of the district and is
situated near Nalknad Palace which is 40 kms from Madikeri. The peak is
not altogether inaccessible; two-thirds of it can be negotiated on a
jeep. The topmost position is rather difficult to ascent. But if one
preserves and climbs to the top, their exertions are amply rewarded and
there from the giddy top of the peak they can look all around towards
west and east and feast their eyes on the majestic grandeurs of the
slopes. The best season to visit is during December to May.
Pushpagiri Hill
The Pushpagiri or Subramanya hill, the celebrated mountain (5,626 ft.),
is in the north-west of Kodagu, about 36 kms from Somwarpet and 1.5 km
from Kumaralli, which is amidst jungle. This is a remarkable two-pointed
hill of precipitous height and peculiar shape and resembles, as seen
from Madikeri, a gigantic bullock hump. The ascent, which, on account of
precipices of the southern and western parts of the hill, can only be
effected by a circuitous route, is more difficult that of Thadiyandamol.
Starting from Bhagati, at the base of Pushpagiri, it is about 10 kms
walking, the ascent taking a good walker about three hours. The summit
commands an extensive view of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan and
Mysore. There are on this hill numerous Hindu memorials in the shape of
stone mounds. Within an enclosure, there are two stone structures, with
traditional imprint of two feet (paadha) said to be of celestial origin.
There is a temple of Ishwara also on the top of the hill. Poojas are
performed on a grand scale every year on the occasion of 'Tula
Sankramana'.
Mallalli Falls
Mallalli falls is situated in the foots of pushpagiri hills. It in about
18 kms from somwarpet, the falls is 2 kms inside the main road. Mallalli
Falls is situated in Coorg and is around 25 kms from Somwarpet and 260
kms from Bangalore. The exact location of Mallali falls is in
Bettadahalli Gram Panchayat in Somwarpet of Coorg. It's is an eye
feasting sight of river Kumaradhara gushing through the valley and
falling into a gorge, with lush green mountains around.
Napandapole Falls
It is 12 kms away from Madapur on the way to Surlabhi. This water fall
is situated in the foots of Kote Betta hill area. The Napandapole fall
is surrounded by 3 Sub Water falls.
Bhagamandala
This is a well known pilgrimage centre situated at a distance of 39 kms
from Madikeri. Bhagamandala is on the banks of the confluence of three
rivers, Cauvery, Kannike and the sub terranian Sujyoti, popularly known
as "Triveni Sangama". The famous Sri Bhagandeswara temple is located
here. A large number of tourists visit Bhagamandala particularly during
the Thula Sankramana jatra and the entire Thula month(October-November).
Bhagandeshwara Temple
The Bhagandeswara temple complex though said to have been built by the
Cholas prior to 11th century follows the gabled roof style of the Kerala
temple architecture common on the west coast. There are four temples in
the temple complex of Ishwara, Subrahmanya, Mahavishnu and Ganapathi.
The Ganapathy temple is in the outer prakara and the other three are in
a line in the inner prakara. The Bhagandeswara temple has a simple
structure consisting of a square garbhagriha with a small ardhamantapa.
The cone shaped shikhara has the stupika and the golden pinnacle donated
by Doddaveerarajendra.
Pilgrims visiting Bhagamandala bathe in the Triveni Sangama, confluence
of rivers and worship at the temple complex. Bhagamandala is a famous
Honey marketing centre, the bee rearing centre here is called Madhuvana
and possesses a rare museum of objects related to bee keeping and is the
only such centre in the entire state. There is an Apiculture Training
Institute run by the state government. There are several private and
government buses plying from inside Kodagu district and other districts
and neighbouring states to Bhagamandala and Talacauvery.
Bramhagiri Line of Hills
Brahmagiri is a mountain range in the Western Ghats of south India. It
is situated on the border between Wayanad District of Kerala state on
the south and Kodagu district in Karnataka on the north side. Brahmagiri
Hill, at 1608 m height, is a scenic tourist attraction. Thirunelli
Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, lies on the Kerala side of Brahmagiri.
This temple is known as Dakshina Kasi or the Kasi of the South. The
temple constructed in an ancient style and includes 30 granite pillars.
According to legend, the temple was constructed by Lord Brahma himself.
Irupu (or Irpu or Lakshmana Tirtha) Falls of the Lakshmana Tirtha River
lies on the Karnataka side of Brahmagiri. According to legend, when Rama
and Lakshmana were searching for Sita, they became thirsty. Lakshmana
shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri from which the river sprang. Rama is
said to have dedicated a Shiva Kshethra known as Rajeshwara Temple on
the banks of river Lakshmana Tirtha. The Lakshmana Tirtha river
eventually flows into the Kaveri River.
Brahmagiri can be reached by a trek from Mananthavady (29 km east) or
from Kutta. From Karnataka side, trek to Brahmagiri from Irpu Falls is 9
km and to Munikal Caves is 7 km. Trekkers need to seek the permission of
Range Forest Officer at Srimangala. Another Wildlife Sanctuary near
Nagarahole National Park. Irupu Rameshwara Temple and Irupu Falls are
situated nearby. As the mountain comes under Brahmagiri Wildlife
Sanctuary area, prior permission from the Department of forests in
necessary. Trekking distance 24 kms; 80 kms from Madikeri (Near
Srimangala).
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