Call: +91 90196 01010
Call: +91 90196 01010
Nestled at 3,400ft in the Sahyadri mountains of the Western Ghats, Chikmagalur is situated in the south-western part of Karnataka. Barely 250km from state capital Bangalore, it lies at the foothills of the Baba Budan range and offers an ideal getaway for those looking at a quiet weekend.
Typical of Ghat topography, the town offers unending vistas of mountains, streams, and coffee and pepper plantations. A number of rivers, such as Bhadra, Hemavathi, Tunga, Netravathi and Vedavathi, originate in the hills surrounding the town.
Chikmagalur today serves as the headquarters of a district by the same name. It was here that coffee was first cultivated in India in 1670 by Baba Budan, a Muslim saint who brought coffee seeds from Yemen, and after whom the mountain range to the north of the town is named. Later taken up by European planters, coffee production and trade has since been Chikmagalur's mainstay.
The hillstations around Chikkamagaluru are famous summer retreats since they remain cool even during summers.
Chikmagalur has a wide variety of attractions inside as well as around. One will find important temples along with scintillating hill stations that offer tourist an all round experience.
Kemmanagundi situated at a height of 1434 m above sea level, is at a distance of 55 Km from Chikmagalur. The main attraction of the hill station apart from the places to visit is the absolutely enamoring climate here. It remains the same throughout the year. The places to visit in Kemmanagundi are Hebbe falls, Kallathi falls, Rose Garden and Raj Bhavan. Trekking is the best way to move around in this pristine hill station as this lets you explore many beautiful places that are a yet untouched. The scenic beauty in and around, mesmerizing sunrise and sunsets and magical climate have all helped it being called as 'The Ooty of Karnataka'.
Kudremukh is a great spot for excursions from Chikmagalur. Situated at a distance of 95 Km from Chikmagalur and nestling at an altitude of 1894 meters above sea level, it is a hill station apt for trekking. 'Kudremukh' means 'Face of a Horse'. It is named so, because the peak is in the shape of a horse face. Rich in both flora and fauna, most parts of the hill station are still unexplored. The Kudremukh hill bordering Arabian Sea, is dotted with numerous caves and excellent trek routes which makes it a great attraction among the tourists. The view of sun rising from behind the lush green slopes, is truly a sight to behold.
Sringeri is an important pilgrim destination in Chikmagalur. Sringeri is most visited for Sri Sharadamba Temple and Sri Vidyashankara Temple. Sharadamba Temple is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, goddess of learning and wisdom. The temple has grown enormously in the last decade or so. Earlier the entire structure was built of wood, but after a fire accident, it was reconstructed in complete Dravidian style. Sri Vidyashankara temple was built by the founder of Vijayanagar Empire, Vidyaranya to commemorate Pontiff Vidhyashankara. Do not forget to look at the twelve pillars inside Sri Vidyashankara Temple which represent 12 signs of zodiac. They are arranged in such a way that sun rays fall on them according to the specific time of the year.
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the major tourist attractions in Chikmagalur district. Situated around 275 km from Bangalore, it covers an area of around 492 sq. Km. The region earlier was called Jagara Game Reserve Sanctuary but it was renamed to Bhadra Wildlife sanctuary in 1974. In 1988, it became the 25th member of Project Tiger. The main fauna attractions of the park are tigers, leopard, sloth bear, giant squirrels, elephant and gaur. The park is a good place for bird watching as well. Black napped flycatcher, king vulture, great horned owl, and billed stork are few avian members that you will see in Bhadra Wildlife sanctuary. The unique aspect of the sanctuary is the huge variety of butterflies here. Inside the park, there is high peak as well named Kallahathigiri which is around 1875 meters tall. This gives a good option for indulging in trekking inside Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.
Best time to Visit :
Chikmagalur is gorgeous all year round. But the weather is most pleasant between September and March. The temperature of the city however varies from 11-20 °C during winter to 25-32 °C during summer.
Air: The nearest airport is Mangalore
Rail: The nearest Rail Junction is Mangalore
Road: It is 170 kms from Mangalore and 240 kms Bangalore