Shimoga district General information
Shimoga is a true picture of nature's bounty-landscapes dotted with waterfalls, swaying palms and lush paddy fields make for picturesque locales.
Shimoga, almost central on the Karnataka map is the rice bowl of the State. The rivers Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of the region.Shimoga was ruled by the great Indian dynasties of the Kadambas, Gangas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Keladi and Vijaynagar Kings. Shimoga ( Face of Shiva), was established by the Keladi rulers. It reached its pinnacle during the rule of Shivappa Nayaka around 1600 A.D.
The Sahyadri ranges,part of the Western Ghats, feed the rivers round the year, and inundate the fertile alluvial soil, this nature's blessing makes it the bread basket of Karnataka. The Sharavathi Hydel Project and Varahi Project provide a substantial portion of the state's power needs.
Today, Shimoga is more than just a tourist destination. Its rich tradition in education, fine arts and culture remain deeply etched in its people and place. The enchanting natural scenery of hills, hillocks and green dales, rivers and streams, dense forests, flora & fauna, forts, temples and historical places, sandalwood and spices, add to this mouth-watering cuisine and touching hospitality and you know you've got - HEAVEN ON EARTH
History
Shimoga is a true picture of nature's bounty-landscapes dotted with waterfalls, swaying palms and lush paddy fields make for picturesque locales.
Shimoga, almost central on the Karnataka map is the rice bowl of the State. The rivers Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of the region.Shimoga was ruled by the great Indian dynasties of the Kadambas, Gangas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Keladi and Vijaynagar Kings. Shimoga ( Face of Shiva), was established by the Keladi rulers. It reached its pinnacle during the rule of Shivappa Nayaka around 1600 A.D.
The Sahyadri ranges,part of the Western Ghats, feed the rivers round the year, and inundate the fertile alluvial soil, this nature's blessing makes it the bread basket of Karnataka. The Sharavathi Hydel Project and Varahi Project provide a substantial portion of the state's power needs.
Today, Shimoga is more than just a tourist destination. Its rich tradition in education, fine arts and culture remain deeply etched in its people and place. The enchanting natural scenery of hills, hillocks and green dales, rivers and streams, dense forests, flora & fauna, forts, temples and historical places, sandalwood and spices, add to this mouth-watering cuisine and touching hospitality and you know you've got - HEAVEN ON EARTH
Geography
Shimoga, a place known for its scenic beauty, flush green lush forests, eye-catching waterfalls, cool climate is situated in the Malnad region bounded by Sahyadri ghats at an mean elevation of 640 AMSL in the western part of karnataka. The district is spread over an area of 1058,000 Hectares with an forest area of 327,000 Hectares. The total population of shimoga district as per 1991 census is around 14,52,320. The eastern part of district comes under the semi-malnad zone with plain topography and occasional chains of hills covered with semi-deciduous vegetation.
Shimoga is origin of rivers Kali, Gangavathi, Sharavathi and tadadi. The other major rivers which flow through the district are Tunga, Bhadra and Varada. The rivers Tunga and Bhadra meets at a place called Koodalgi in shimoga district. Agumbe , a small place , known for its highest rainfall (8000 mm/annum) in southern india hails from this land.
Shimoga district is rich in flora and fauna , the dense forest and green shrub jungles are main producers of sandalwood, rosewood, teak and other exotic timber. Mango, Jackfruit, Tamarind etc.. are the other important trees found around the district with rich yields. The dense forests of the district is home for wild animals like Elephant, Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Wild boar, Bear, Antelope, Bison, Porcupine, Monkeys, wolves and many other animals. Birds migrate from all over the world and travel down to shimoga for a honeymoon. Birds like ...... are found flying higher and higher in the blue skies.
Shimoga farmers are feeding the people of Shimoga and other districts of Karnataka by producing good quality paddy, coconut, Ragi, Pepper, Areca and Sugarcane.
It ranks 9th in size among all the districts of the State. The district is just 274 Kms away from the silicon valley of India, BANGALORE.
Climate
Shivamogga district being a part of the Malnad region receives good monsoon rainfall; the months from June to October being the rainy season. In the years 1901-1970, it received an average annual rainfall of 1813.9 mm with an average of 86 days in the year being rainy days.
The average annual temperature of Shivamogga District is around 26oC. The average temperature has increased substantially over the years and the trend can be viewed here
In some regions of Shivamogga district, the day temperature can really soar to about 40oC during summers, leading to water crisis and other problems
Geology
The major soil forms found in the Shivamogga district are Red gravelly clay soil, Red clay soil, Lateritic gravelly clay soil, Lateritic clay soil, Medium deep black soil, Non-saline and saline Alluvo-Colluvial soil and Brown forest soil[5]
Major minerals found in this district are Limestone, White Quartz, Kaolin, Kyanite and Manganese[6].
Economy
Cornerstone of the Shivamogga district's agrarian economy: the arecanut.
Visweswaraya Iron and Steel Limited, Bhadravathi.
Agriculture and animal husbandry are the major contributors to the economy of Shivamogga district. Rice, Arecanut, Cotton, Maize and Ragi are the major crops cultivated in this district[7]. Karnataka is the largest producer of arecanut in India, majority of which is cultivated in the Shimoga district. The farmers from Shimoga are said to be very innovative and have managed to cultivate crops like Vanilla and Jatropha previously unheard of in India; yielding high monetary benefits[8].
Education
Educational scenario is bright in Shimoga District. There are many educational institutes, which cater to the educational needs of the District. Each habitation with 200 population or more is having a primary schools. There are upper primary schools, High schools and Junior colleges which are easily accessible to rural areas also. Each Taluk Headquarters is having a degree college. There is an Engineering college, Dental college, Polytechnics, to cater to the needs of higher educational and technical education of the District. Even rural areas are accessible for higher education. The District is having a high tradition in the field of culture and literature. It has a rich heritage of cultural and literary backgrounds. One university center is also situated in the District.
There are 1147 Primary Schools and 1013 Upper Primary Schools in the District. There are 1057 Government Lower Primary Schools and 846 Government Higher Primary Schools in the District. Only 7 aided Lower Primary Schools and 41 aided higher Primary schools are there in the District. 92 % of the lower Primary Schools are Government Schools. Only 0.6% are aided and 7.4% are unaided lower schools. Among higher primary schools, 83.5% are Government Schools, 4% are aided schools and 12.5% are unaided schools. The Government has opened many schools in the district and extended support for private managements to run Primary Schools.
Nearby attractions
Gajanur lies 15 km to the southwest. The dam built across the Tunga River here is ideal for picnics.
Koodli lies 15 km and is the place where the Tunga and Bhadra river meet and flow together as Tungabhadra.
Lion Safari lies 12 km on the way to Sagara.Forest department will take for safari ride in the vehicle to spot the wild animals.
B.R.P Dam is 28 km from the city on the way to lakkavalli.This is the dam built for the bhadra river with the maximum height of 186 feet.
Kaveladurga is a trekking spot around 80 km from Shimoga.A fort built on the hill top and the enchanting view of the western ghats can be seen from this place.
Mrugavadhe lies in thirthahalli taluk and is famous for its Mallikarjuna temple and its scenic beauty.
Sigandhooru is 108 km from Shimoga in Sagar taluk.This place is famous for Sigandhoor sridevi temple and to reach this place one has to go in launch(Due to backwaters of sharavathi river) run by the state government.
Sringeri is 105 km from shimoga.This place is famous for the Sharadha temple and sringeri mutt.
Sakrebyle is a nice Elephant Camp 2 km far from Gajanur Dam on the way to Thirthahalli
Agumbe 90 km south-west, is unforgettable for its glorious sunset.
Jog Falls are a spectacular series of waterfalls, located 105 km away from Shimoga. The *Sharavathi River takes a spectacular jump from a height of 292 m in four distinct falls to form the highest waterfalls in India. The best time to visit these falls is soon after the monsoon season during July and August.
Kodachadri is a beautiful hill station in the Western Ghats. It is 120 km from Shimoga.
Ikkeri near Sagara town is known for huge rock temple of Aghoreshwara. Keladi is also having rock temple; both of these temples belong to Shivappa Nayaka period. Sagara town is known for wood carving articles particularly of sandal wood, which can be handy for presentation/memonto.
The village of Ambuthirtha is about 16 km north-west of Thirthahalli. The Sharavathi River originates here and a Shivalinga is installed at the spot.
Kemmannagundi is a popular hill station near Shimoga though it lies in Chickmagalur district.