Madikeri, Karnataka – Known as the Kashmir of South India for its scenic beauty
The enchanting fragrance of coffee, the aroma of fresh cardamom, Black pepper and Coorg honey, the holy river Cauvery and the pleasant cool air, that’s Madikeri. Located at a distance of 252 km from Bengaluru, Madikeri lies in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. It is perhaps, this climate and hilly terrain of Coorg, that inspired the British to occupy this area for over 100 years and they ideally named it as the Scotland of India. It is also known as the Kashmir of the south India for its scenic beauty. This calm and quiet land of mountains with panoramic beauty, god gifted, pollution free environment is one of the most popular tourist destinations of India.
Places to see at Madikeri: You will surely fall under the spell of the natural splendour of Madikeri, which is furnished with a number of sightseeing locations. Some major sites are as follows;
Omkareshwara Temple
The Omkareshwara Temple in Madikeri was built by the Lingarajendra II in1820 in the combination of Catholic, Keralite, Gothic and Islamic styles of Architecture.
Raja’s Seat
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.
Madikeri fort
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.
Raja’s Tomb
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.
Cauvery Nisarqadhama
Tala Cauvery, 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.
Abbey falls
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.
Nearby attractions from Madikeri: After the completion of the sight seeing tour you can also plan for an itinerary to places like:
BhagamandalaTemple : Triveni Sangama
Located at a distance of 38 km from Madikeri Bhagamandala is a pilgrimage place in Kodagu. Bhagamandala is on the banks of the confluence of three rivers, Cauvery, Kannike and the sub terrain Sujyoti, popularly known as “Triveni Sangama”. It is a common practice for pilgrims to take a dip in the triveni sangama and perform rituals to their ancestors before proceeding to Talakaveri, the birthplace of Kaveri. During Tula Sankramana which falls on October 17th or 18th every year, pilgrims assemble here in large numbers.
Bhagandeshwara temple is a Famous temple near triveni sangama, where Bhagandeshwara (Ishwara), Subramanya, Mahavishnu and Ganapati temples are there, ts also called as Bhagandeshwara Kshetra, The Bhagandeswara temple complex though said to have been built by the Cholas prior to th 11th century follows the gabled roof style of the Kerala temple architecture common on the west coast.
A short distance from Bhagamandala is the temple at Padi, which houses the deity Lord Igguthapp and is considered by many Kodavas to be the most sacred shrine in their homeland.
Talakaveri
From Bhagamandala head further towards Talakaveri which is about 8 km away from Bhagamandala and 48 km from Madikeri. It is the Birth Place of Kaveri River. Located in the Brahmagiri hill near Bhagamandala, which is one of the 7 sacred rivers of Sapta Sindhus of the Hindu scriptures, it is around 1,276 m above sea level. However, there is not a permanent visible flow from this place to the main river course except during the rainy season.
Namdroling Monastery
Located amidst the sandal groves a few hours from Bangalore and Mysore, in Karnataka state, South India, Namdroling was established by His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche shortly after he came to India from Tibet. The monastery’s full name is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, called “Namdroling” for short. Its initial structure was a temple constructed from bamboo, covering an area of approximately 80 square feet (7.4 m2).
Kaveri Nisargadhama
Just 30 km from Madikeri, Kaveri Nisargadhama is a beautiful island formed by river Kaveri. Kaveri Nisargadhama was established in 1989. It is abundant with lush foliage, thick bamboo groves, teak, and rosewood. The sprawling 64-acre nature resort which is surrounded by river Kaveri includes a deer park, orchidarium, and elephant and boat rides. The Nisargadhama can be accessed by walking across a hanging bridge.
Things to do in Madikeri: Madikeri is an ideal place for for the shutterbugs as the scenic beauty of the place will compel you to take continuous snaps without rest. Apart from sight seeing, if you are doing nothing just take a leisure walk to enjoy the scenic beauty of the place.
Best time to visit Madikeri: Best season to visit Madikeri is in summers as the weather remains pleasant during this time.
How to go ?
By Air
Nearest airport to Madikeri is Mangalore terminal, which is about 143 km from the town. Nearest International airport is Karipur (Kozhikode), which is 180 km away from Madikeri. Karipur airport is connected to many Middle Eastern cities. Mangalore air terminal is connected to Bangalore and Chennai.
By Rail
The nearest railway stations are Hassan, Thalassery, Kannur and Kasrgod, all are nearly 115 km away from Madikeri. Nearby major railhead is Managalore which is connected to all cities in India with rail facilities. The nearest rail line to Madikeri town is the Mangalore to Hassan railway line with Sakleshpur or Subrahmanya as the closest railway stations. Other than the slow passenger trains, this route has only one express train in service. Train No. 6517 / 5618 Mangalore-Yasvantpur Express operates in this route.
By Road
Madikeri is well connected by KSRTC buses of Kerala and Karnataka. Many private buses also connect Madikeri with other nearby cities.
Where to stay ?
Madikeri being one of the popular tourist destinations has adequate accommodation options.
Hotel Maurya Valley View(Karnataka Tourism): +91-08272-228387
Hotel Coorg International: +91-08272 – 228071,72, 229390 Website: http: www.coorginternational.com
Hilltown Hotel : +91-o8272-223801 Website: http: www.hilltownhotel.com
Hotel Madikeri Heritage: +91 08272 228989 Website: www.madikeriheritage.com
Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.
