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INTRODUCTION

Kudremukh about 95 kilometers south-west of Chikmaglur town in the Karnataka state is at an altitude of 1,894.3 meters above sea level.Kudremukh got its name because of the unique shape of the Kudremukh Peak.Kudremukh is supposed to be the largest reserve of a tropical wet evergreen forest in Karnataka still strongly adhering to its pure and natural beauty. The soil of Kudremukh is highly efficient for with not much of effort it is possible to cultivate coffee arecanut palms fragrant cardamom and mango along with tea. The credit of the development of the town goes to the kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited because of the rich resources of iron ore in Kudremukh.The town is built like an American town with wide open spaces and low buildings it’s a pleasant place to stay. You can enjoy trekking through the forests, sighting birds and wildlife.

HISTORY

There is nothing much to talk about the history of Kudremukh other than the fact that in 1916, the British Government declared Kudremukh as a Reserved Forest to stop deforestation. In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park.

ORIENTATION

Kudremukh in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka overlooks the Arabian Sea and is surrounded by mountain ranges.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The ideal time to visit Kudremukh is between the months of December and February.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

KARAVALI FESTIVAL

Karavali Festival falls in the month of February. This festival organized by the Government of Karnataka is celebrated with great pomp in nearby Mangalore. The main highlights of this festival are the Demon Worship, Nagamandala and Demon Dance.

NAVRATHIRI FESTIVAL

Navrathri festival falls in the month of December and is celebrated for ten-day festival in nearby Chikmagalur on the occasion of Durga Puja

PLACES OF INTERESTS

LAKYA DAM

Lakya Dam was mainly constructed across the Lakya river to dump the red slurry from the iron ore factories and thus the dam gets its name from the lac or red clay.

This dam was built by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL).

It is ideal for an evening walk across the dam.

KUDREMUKH PEAK

Kudremukh peak is situated at an altitude of about 6,250 ft high from the sea level. Kudremukh peak is an ideal spot for exploration, navigation and trekking. The entire chain of this peak is rich in its flora and fauna and on a very clear day the blue edge of the Arabian Sea is visible from here.

The hills are broad and connected to each other like a chain, with deep plains and valleys and are enchanting with natural splendour and beauty.

One can also spot lion tailed Macaques in this area.

St.CATHERIAN'S FALLS

It is 8 km from kotagiri on the Mettupalyam road.

This double-cascaded Falls is the second highest in the district (250 ft) and it waters from the upper stream of the kallar river crossed by the invisible Mettupalyam-Ooty road beyond the mountains in the south-west.

From this point of view Dolphin's Nose of Coonoor is also seen across the mighty gap in the hills.

It presents a lovely view of the tea gardens and forests and woodlands

LONGWOOD SHOLA

The Longwood shola is also otherwise known as the Dodda Shola by the local people of Kotagiri and is 3kms away from the town.

Longwood shola is one of the major water resources in Kotagiri for more than 15 villages in the Aravenu area.

In this area of the Western Ghats one can get to see the stunted evergreen vegetation or the shola forests and this plays a major role in Kotagiri's microclimate.

This is an ideal place for trekking and for bird watchers.

Longwood Shola is also noted for Indian giant squirrel, bonnet macaque, barking deer, Nilgiri Marten and Indian bison.

KUDREMUKH NATIONAL PARK

This is one of the recently declared National Park in Karnataka which extends over three districts, Dakshin Kannada (South Kanara), Chickmaglur and parts of Udupi and stretches between Narasimha Parvatha (in Sringeri Taluk) in the north to the Jamalabad Fort (in Belthangady Taluk) in the south.

The park is also divided into four ranges Kudremukh, Kerekatte, Kalsa, and Shimoga.

The forest officials of this area have demarcated about 13 standard trekking routes.

HANUMAN GUNDI WATERFALLS

Hanuman Gundi waterfalls is situated at a distance of about 32 km from Kalasa which is supposed to be one of the main attractions of Kudremukh.

The waterfall looks very majestic and falls from height of about 100 feet with the slashing noise of the water.

You can trek to this place and make yourself refreshing by having a bath in this water.

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GANGAMOOLA

Gangamoola is the place where the three rivers namely Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi find their origin.

Gangamoola is amidst a dense forest and is noted for its picturesque location.

There is also a cave which houses a shrine of Goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image.

JAMALABAD FORT

Jamalabad is reputed for its fort constructed according to the orders of Tipu Sultan in 1794.

The fort was renamed after his mother Jamalbee.

The village which is located at the base of a high rock, comprises a part of the Kudremukh range of hills near Belthangadi.

HORANADU

Horanadu which is located at a distance of about 28kms from Kudremukh and 8 km from Silent Valley is known for its Annapoorneshwari Temple.There are two temples in close proximity namely the Kaleshwara Temple and the Girijamba Temple where the presiding deity of the former is Lord Shiva. There is a three day festival in the Girijamba Temple which celebrates the marriage between kaleshwara and Girijamba.  

KALASA

Kalasa by itself is a small town which is situated at a distance of about 20kms from Kudremukh.It has number of places to be visited like the Panchatirtha, Rudra Tirtha, Vasishtha Tirtha, Amba Tirtha and Varaha Tirtha, all in a very few kilometres away.

Amba Tirtha is quite famous for there is a Sanskrit inscription in this place which states that Sri Madhavacharya founder of the Dvaita School of philosophy brought and placed it here with one hand.

SHOPPING There is nothing much to shop here except for some fresh ground coffee. EAT OUTS Bhagavathi Nature Camp has a captive kitchen to service their guests. The nearest place to find restaurants is in the town of Kalasa, where basic but clean South Indian food can be availed. ACCOMMODATION 1.Silent Valley Resort Thodlu, Kalasa-Kudremukh Road Chickmagalur district Kalasa - 577124 Phone +91 9008444436/38 +91 824 2211672 +91 8263 274801/02 2.Kudremukh Wildlife Division Seethanadi, Hebri Village Karkal Taluk, Udupi Karnataka - 576112 India 3.Chandan Hotel Mahaveera Road, Kalasa, Mudigere Taluk Chikmagalur Karnataka - 577124 India

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HOW TO REACH

By Air

The nearest airport is at Mangalore (130 km).

By Trains

The closest railway station is located at Mangalore.

By Road

Kudremukh is well-connected by a network of roads to Mangalore, Chikmagalur and Sringeri.