Chikmagalur district General information

Chikkamagaluru is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Chikkamagaluru is where coffee was first cultivated in India. This district is a tourist's paradise with various hill stations, waterfalls and religious sites present here. The mountains here which are a part of the Western Ghats are also the source of rivers like Tunga and Bhadra. In Chickmagalur district, the major commercial crop is coffee. Other commercial crops are Pepper, Cashew nuts etc.. mullain giri, the highest peak in Karnataka (viz., 6,317 feet high from Sea Level) is 12 Kms away from Chickmagalur. Number of rivers originates from the hills of Chickmagalur district and flow in all the seasons. Rivers such as, Bhadra, Tunga, Hemavathi, Netravathi & Vedavathi. Several minerals are found in the district such as iron, magnetite, granite etc., major iron ore company in Asia is located at Kudremukha in Mudigere taluk of Chickmagalur district.
In Chickmagalur district, the major commercial crop is coffee. Other commercial crops are Pepper, Cashew nuts etc.. mullain giri, the highest peak  in Karnataka (viz., 6,317 feet high from Sea Level)  is 12 Kms away from Chickmagalur. Number of rivers originates from the hills of Chickmagalur district and flow in all the seasons.  Rivers such as, Bhadra, Tunga, Hemavathi, Netravathi & Vedavathi. Several minerals are found in the district such as iron, magnetite, granite etc., major iron ore company in Asia is located at Kudremukha in Mudigere taluk of Chickmagalur district.

Chickmagalur district was called Kadur district till 1947. It is situated roughly in the south-western part of Karnataka state. A large area of this district is 'malnad', i.e., a largely forested hilly region of heavy rainfall. The district takes its name from the headquarters town of Chickmagalur which literally means younger daughter's town - Chikka+Magala+Ooru-(in Kannada). It is said to have been given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakrepatna. Another part of the town bestowed on the elder daughter is known as Hiremagalur.

History

Chikkamagaluru is the region where the Hoysala rulers started and spent the early days of their dynasty. According to a legend, it was at Sosevur, now identified with Angadi in Mudigere Taluk that Sala, the founder of the Hoysala dynasty, killed the legendary tiger, immortalised in the Hoysala crest[2]. However, scholars have found lot of inconsistencies in this story and it seems to be more of a folklore[3]. However, it is known that Veera Ballala II (1173 - 1220 CE), the great king of Hoysala empire, has built the Amriteshwara temple at Amrithapura in Tarikere Taluk.

Coffee was introduced into India through the Chikkamagaluru district when the first coffee crop was grown in the Baba Budan Giri Hills during 1670 AD. According to the article Origins of Coffee, the saint Baba Budan on his pilgrimage to Mecca travelled through the seaport of Mocha, Yemen where he discovered coffee. To introduce its taste to India, he wrapped seven coffee beans around his belly and got them out of Arabia. On his return home, he planted the beans in the hills of Chikkamagaluru, which are now named Baba Budan Hills in his honour.

In recent history, Chikkamagaluru was the centre of global attention in the year 1978 when the former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi stood for elections here and got elected to Lok Sabha, the Indian Parliament.

Origin of name

Chikkamagaluru literally translates into "The town of the younger auspicious place" in the native Kannada language. The town is said to have been given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakarayapatna and hence the name. About 5 km from Chikkamagaluru there is a town called Hiremagaluru which means "The town of the elder auspicious place", too.

Geography

The district is situated between 12° 54´ 42´´ and 13° 53´ 53´´ north latitude and between 75° 04´ 46´´ and 76° 21´ 50´´ east longitude. Its greatest length from east to west is about 138.4 kilometers and from north to south 88.5 kilometers. General boundaries are

East - Tumkur district ,South - Hassan district, West - Western Ghats which separates it from Dakhina Kannada (South Kanara), North - East : Chitradurga district, North - Shimoga district.

Demography

According to 2001 census, Chikkamagaluru district has a total population of 1139104 of which 654275 are males and 564829 are females[5]. 81% of the population resides in rural area with the remaining 19% being the urban population. Among Taluks, Sringeri taluk has the least population whereas Chikkamagaluru Taluk has the highest population.

Administration

Chikkamagaluru district falls under the Mysore Division of Karnataka. It is divided into two Revenue Sub-divisions, Chikkamagaluru Sub-Division and Tarikere Sub-Division. Chikkamagaluru Sub-Division comprises the taluks of Chikkamagaluru, Koppa, Mudigere and Sringeri whereas the Tarikere Sub-Division comprises the taluks of Tarikere, Kadur and Narasimharajapura. The Deputy Commissioner (also the District Magistrate) is the functional head of the district. Each Sub-Division has Assistant Commissioners and each Taluk has Tahsildars who work under the control and supervision of the Deputy Commissioner. The current administrative setup of the district can be viewed here.

Economy

Fresh beans of Coffee Robusta. Coffee is the cornerstone of Chikkamagaluru district's economy.

Agriculture is the economical back bone of the Chikkamagaluru district with coffee cultivation forming the major part of it. Agricultural production in the district is spread over three seasons — namely Kharif, Rabi and Summer. Important crops grown are cereals, i.e. rice, ragi, jowar, maize and minor millets, pulses like red gram, horse gram, green gram, avrekai (Hyacinth Beans), black gram and Bengal gram. Oil seeds like ground nut, sesamum, sunflower, castor and commercial crops like sugarcane, cotton, and tobacco are also grown here.

Coffee Board is the department located in Chikkamagaluru town that oversees the production and marketing of coffee cultivated in the district. Coffee is cultivated in Chikkamagaluru district in an area of around 85,465 hectares with Arabica being the dominant variety grown in upper hills and Robusta being the major variety in the low level hills. There are around 15000 coffee growers in this district with 96% of them being small growers with holdings of less than or equal to 4 hectares. The average production is 55,000 MT comprising of 35,000 MT of Arabica and 20,000 MT of Robusta. The average productivity per hectare is 810 kg for Arabica and 1110 kg of Robusta, which are higher than the national average[7]..

 Industries

Chikkamagaluru district unfortunately has not made good progress in terms of Industrial Development. Inadequate infrastructure, poor roads, poor rail network and investors preferring non-industrial ventures over industrial ones are quoted as some of the reasons for the backwardness of Industrial Development in this district[8] [9].

There is only one Large Scale industry in this district, i.e. M/s Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) in Kudremukh area of Mudigere Taluk. KIOCL was established in 1976 to develop the Kudremukh mine and to produce 7.5 million tonnes of concentrate per year. The facilities were commissioned in 1980 and the first shipment of concentrate was made in October 1981. A pelletisation plant with a capacity of 3 million tonnes per year was commissioned in 1987 for production of high quality blast furnace and direct reduction grade pellets for export[10]. KIOCL received a massive setback when its mining licence expired and operations were stopped by the Supreme Court with effect from 31 Dec, 2005.[11]. With many of the employees losing their jobs and the social backlash that may result thereof, efforts are being made to generate jobs for these workers in other areas[12].

There is only one Medium Scale Industry, i.e. M/s Vignyan Industries Ltd. located in Tarikere town. A subsidiary of BEML, it produces steel castings.

There are 2 Industrial Estates in Chikkamagaluru district, one located near Chikkamagaluru town and the other near Birur in Kadur Taluk. The Chikkamagaluru Industrial Estate is spread over 13.20 acres (53,400 m2) of land where the one at Birur is spread over 11.1 acres (45,000 m2). Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) is also developing an Industrial Area of over 145 acres (0.59 km2) near Amble village of Chikkamagaluru Taluk[13].

 Education

According to 2001 census, the percentage literacy rate of Chikkamagaluru district is 72.63% with 80.68% of males and 64.47% of females being literate. The literacy rate of Chikkamagaluru is higher than the average literacy rate of Karnataka state which is 67.04%. Sringeri Taluk has the highest literacy rate of 80.78% and Kadur Taluk with 68.33% being the least literate one.

Primary and secondary education

As of 2001, there are 1620 primary schools (with 151923 students) and 235 secondary schools (high schools with 34607 students) in Chikkamagaluru district[14]. Chikkamagaluru Taluk with 414 primary schools (42774 students) has the most number of primary schools with Sringeri Taluk having the least number of 80 primary schools (5822 students). Kadur Taluk with 74 secondary schools (9990 students) has the most number of secondary schools with Sringeri Taluk having the least number of 9 secondary schools (1492 students).

Places of Interest

Kemmangundi: 55 km north from Chikkamagaluru town is Kemmangundi, a scenic hill station on the Baba Budan Giri range of hills. Kemmangundi is also known as K.R. Hills after the Wodeyar King, Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who had made it his favourite summer camp. Kemmangundi, at a height of 1,434 meters, is surrounded by thick forests and a salubrious climate through out the year. It is surrounded by the Baba Budan Giri range and blessed with silver cascades of mountain streams and lush vegetation.

Kudremukh and Kudremukh National Park: 95 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru town is Kudremukh range (in Kannada Kudure = horse and mukha = face), so named because of the unique shape of the Kudremukh peak. Overlooking the Arabian sea, the broad hills are chained to one another with deep valley & steep precipices. Situated at 1,894.3 meters above sea level, Kudremukh is rich in iron ore deposits.

Mullayanagiri: Mullayanagiri is part of the Baba Budan Giri Hill Ranges here. It stands 1930 meters tall and is the tallest peak in Karnataka. Its height is famous mostly for watching sunsets from. It is 16 km from Chikkamagaluru town. Driving to Mullayanagiri is worth taking a risk. On the way is Sitalayanagiri where the water in the Shiva temple neither increases nor decreases. The road to Mullayanagiri is very narrow with a views from steep cliffs.

Datta peeta (Baba Budan Giri): To the north of Chikkamagaluru town is the Baba Budan Giri Range or Chandra Drona Parvatha as it was known in the ancient times, which has one of the highest mountain peaks between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. The peak takes its name from the Muslim saint, Baba Budan, who resided here more than 150 years ago.

Manikyadhara Falls: is a waterfall near the famous pilgrim centre Baba Budan Giri Dattatreya Peetha where water spills down like small pearls giving the visitors a memorable shower bath.

Kallathigiri Falls: Just 10 km away from Kemmangundi is Kallahathigiri falls, also known as Kalahasti falls. Water cascades down from the top of the Chandra Drona hill from a height of 122 meters amidst fascinating scenery. There is an old Veerabhadra temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, constructed in a gap between rocks. This temple can be approached after crossing the waterfall.

Hebbe Falls: This beautiful waterfall is over 10 km away from the famous hill station, Kemmangundi. Here water streams down from a height of 168 meters in two stages to form Dodda Hebbe (Big Falls) and Chikka Hebbe (Small Falls).

Shanti Falls: This is a beautiful waterfall on the way to Z-Point in Kemmangundi.

Hanumana Gundi Falls: Located 32 Km. from the Kalasa, the waterfall has water falling on to Natural rock formations from a height of more than 100 feet.

Kadambi Falls: This is a waterfall located in the Kudremukh National Park.

Sringeri: 90 km west of Chikkamagaluru town is Sringeri situated on the banks of Tunga, a Vedic Peetha established by Sri Adi Shankara, the exponent of the Advaita philosophy in 9th Century A.D. It is famous for Vidyashankara Temple originally constructed by the Hoysalas and later completed by the founders of the Vijayanagar Empire and Sharada temple, an early 20th. century addition. In the Vidya Shankara shrine, there are 12 zodiac pillars, which are so constructed that the rays of the sun fall on the pillar corresponding to the month. Horanadu: Horanadu is 100 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru and has an ancient Annapoorneshwari Temple, which has been renovated recently. With the installation of the new image of Adi Shakti, now the temple is called Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shri Annapoorneshwari. The place attracts lots of pilgrims who are provided free boarding and lodging by the temple.

Vidyasankara temple in Shringeri: Mahadwara (main door) of Annapoorneshwari temple in HoranaduKalasa: Kalasa is 92 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru and situated on the banks of the river Bhadra. It is surrounded by lofty hills of the Western Ghats and is looked upon as one of the pancha-kshetras on the banks of the Bhadra. Close by are the pancha theerthas, the five sacred ponds. On a small hillock here is the Kalaseshwara temple in dedicated to Ishwara, with a Kshetrapala shrine of soap stone in Hoysala style nearby. The Madhawacharya bande, a large boulder at one of the theerthas here, is supposed to have been placed by Shri Madhawacharya the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. A statue of this acharya is carved on the upper portion of the rock. Guru Dattatreya Bababudanswamy Darga: Situated on the Baba Budan Giri is the Inam Dattatreya Peetha venerated by the Hindus and the Muslims alike. A laterite cave here is believed to have been sanctified by the residence of Dattatreya Swami as well as Hazrat Dada Hayat Mir Khalander. The worship here is conducted by a fakir and the annual jatra or urs is attended by both Hindus and Muslims with great fervors. Amritapura: 67 km north of Chikkamagaluru, Amrithapura is known for the Amritheshwara temple built in 1196 A.D by Amriteshwara Dandanayaka, a general of the Hoysala ruler Veera Ballala II. Delicacy of touch, originality of design and fine features have made this temple one of the notable structures of the Hoysala period. Belavadi: Located 29 kms southeast of Chikkamagaluru town on the Chikkamagaluru-Javagal road and 10 kms north west of Halebidu, Belavadi is famous for Ornate temple of Veeranarayana. Belavadi is also famous for the temple of 'Udbhava Ganapathi'.

River Tern Nestling: in Bhadra Wildlife SanctuaryBhadra Wildlife Sanctuary: Occupying 495 km². of wildlife sanctuary and Project tiger reserve, this region is an important watershed of the Tungabhadra river. The huge reservoir here is the main water supply to several districts in the rain shadow regions of south Karnataka. The forests here are rich in Bamboo and birds species unique to both the Malabar and Sahyadri ranges.

Kudremukh National Park: The Kudremukh National Park (latitudinal range 13°01'00" to 13°29'17" N, longitudinal range 75°00'55' to 75°25'00" E) is the largest declared Wildlife Protected Area (600 km²) of a tropical wet evergreen type of forest in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats is one of the twenty-five hot spots identified for bio-diversity conservation in the world. Kudremukh National Park comes under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund-USA.