MADIKERI

The enchanting fragrance of coffee……. The aroma of fresh cardamom, Black pepper and Coorg honey..... The holy river Cauvery…… The air is noticeably cool. It is perhaps, this climate and hilly terrain of Coorg, that inspired the British to occupy this area for over 100 years and they called it as Scotland of India. It is also known as the Kashmir of the south India for its scenic beauty. With its austere beauty, this god gifted, pollution free, calm and quiet land of mountains cordially invites you to experience its hospitality to make this holiday of yours an interesting chapter in your life. The wooded slopes, eccentric villages, colourful scenery and rugged landscape of Madikeri have fascinated tourists until today. Endless mountain ranges, ridge after ridge of slopes laden with forests rising to the sky, give Coorg its unique & irreplaceable character.

HISTORY.. Madikeri, the district headquarters of Coorg, is situated at an elevation of 1525m. The town is dotted with red-tiled bungalows and has an old charm about it. The people of Coorg are Hindus belonging to the Kshatriya community and are known for their patriotism. Madikeri or Mercara the Scotland of India was founded in 1681 by Muddu Raja, the prince of the Haleri dynasty and was hence named as Muddurajakeri, which later became Madikeri. The origin of the Coorgs is shrouded in mystery. Some theories range from Coorgs being the descendants of Alexander the Great who invaded India to a band of kurds who fled from Iraq to escape conversion to Islam. There is no scientific theory to establish the origin of this martial race. CULTURE... The word Kodagu has come from the word "Kudu" -"Hilly place". Madikeri is one of the most picturesque hill stations of South India with wonderful and lovely natural scenery. It is the birthplace of river Cauvery. The Kodavas worship the Cauvery River and call themselves the children of Cauvery. Besides their fame as agriculturists, the Kodavas are renowned for their hospitality. You can enjoy the hospitality if you visit Madikeri. From the earliest period of recorded history to the end of the 16th century, the history of Kodagu has to be traced chiefly from inscriptions. Kodagu was not ruled entirely by any one dynasty till the beginning of 17th century. Several dynasties ruled only a part of Kodagu at different times. The chieftains and local princes till about the end of 17th century ruled different parts of Kodagu, and they owed allegiance to some bigger ruler outside Kodagu. The various inscriptions over stone and copper plates found in Kodagu points to a plethora of rulers dating back from 888 AD by the Ganga dynasty to 1633 AD by the Haleri dynasty. The Gangas, Kadambas, Cholas, Kongalvas, Changalvas, Hoysalas and Nayakas have ruled Kodagu. Kodagu Nayakas were the rulers for the first time, and they were overthrown and eliminated by the succeeding Haleri rulers. Sometime before the Kodagu Nayakas came to power the mighty Vijayanagar kingdom also had its share of dominance over Kodagu. Tourist spot Some of the tourist spots in Madikeri :- Omkareshwara Temple Details:- The Omkareshwara Temple in Madikeri was built by the Lingarajendra II in1820 in the combination of Catholic, Keralite, Gothic and Islamic styles of Architecture. Madikeri fort Details:- The Madikeri fort, with its imposing structure crowns the entire town, was rebuilt by Tipu Sulthan. The Veerabhadra Temple inside it was removed by the British and replaced an Anglian Church, which is now converted to Museum. The Madikeri palace is located inside the fort and was built by the Lingarajendra Wodeyar II. The British renovated the structure twice and in 1933 added a clock tower and a portico. Cauvery Nisarqadhama Details:- TalaCauvery, 7 km from Bhagamandala, the origin of the holy river Cauvery is situated at 44 km from Madikeri. Bus service is available from Madikeri to TalaCauvery and the ride is picturesque. It is situated on the slopes of the Brahmagiri hills. Raja's seat Details:- This is the spot from where the kings watched the sunsets with their consorts and is the most scenic sport in South India. It offers breathtaking view of towering hills, green valleys, studded with paddy fields. The most fascinating view is the road to Mangalore like a curved ribbon lying in the valley. Raja's Tomb Details:- This is one of the important monuments in Coorg. The royal tombs provide a commanding view of the town & are in the Islamic style with the domes in center and turrets at the angles. Abbey falls Details:- Else named Jesse falls (by the British) is only 7km from Madikeri and is really a treat to watch the roaring water torrent in the monsoon season from July to October. One can walk up the falls through a flight of steps. The cascading water descends to the river Cauvery. Next page