A friendly warning to all concerned: One trip to Coorg (Kodagu) and it’ll haunt you for the rest of your life. You might leave Coorg, but Coorg will never leave you. Don’t blame us if you keep returning to it time and again.

That’s Coorg for you- incomparable scenic beauty, lush green valleys, coffee plantations, teak wood forests & majestic mountain ranges. Add to that a strong, brave martial race of Coorgs (Kodavas) that reveres tradition, has a distinct culture and lives life to its fullest.

Coorg is situated on the Western Ghats of Karnataka in South India.  For the adventurous at heart, it is an absolute treat. There are trekking, golfing and angling (Mahaseer too!) options available. Religious trips abound on Hindu and Buddhist circuits. Family getaways can be easily arranged. You can also relax your body and mind with special Ayurvedic massages. Coorg is also as trendy and happening as its close neighbour Bangalore.

But the predominant entity here is nature at its best. Coorg is like the dreamland of the philosopher. If you’re the type who likes to mingle with nature, romance in the mountains, feel the tingle of the cool and gentle breeze, watch leaves flutter in dance-like movements and hear sounds of birds fill the air, then Coorg is just the place for you.!
The Kodagu people have always stood apart handsome, brave and hospitable. A distinguished martial tradition has given the Indian Army several Generals and Brigadiers.
Known by their special variants of wearing the saree, the Kodagu women are graceful and beautiful. Kodagu district has several tourist spots of historic, epic and natural importance. Kodagu has three taluks- Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet. Steep hills, valleys and gorges with countless streams that gurgle through them, beckon intrepid trekkers and rock climbers.

That is definitely a multiple-choice question. We seem to be an anthropological puzzle. Thinking of our origin brings to mind an image of bearded scholars turning and twisting a Rubik’s cube. Hoping to hit upon the right answer rather than being logically led to one.

Such experts probably look at physical features like the distinctive beak nose, high cheek bones, usually fair skin colour, height and robustness. And at our temperament – mostly quick tempered, loyal and brave. Our dress which is easily ‘middle-east’. Our customs which are so martial and barely Hindu. Our dialect which is a mixture of other South Indian dialects and languages. And even the foreign language influences in our dialect.


Not many know that when Alexander set out to invade India, he conquered Iran (then Persia) on his way here. He recruited Iranian bowmen into his army. Interestingly, the Greeks and Iranians are of the same stock, and had themselves fought see-saw battles with each other in the past.

After Alexander defeated the Punjab region he wanted to continue further into the Country but his soldiers rebelled. He is said to have turned back to Greece, leaving some of his forces behind. History records that he died on the way back.
It is surmised that his forces who were later overthrown by an uprising, decided to travel down South rather than risk the hazardous journey back. This mixed crew of Greeks and Iranians probably found the dense forests of Coorg a natural fortification, and being thinly populated, more easily owned.
Alexander’s army was a disciplined one, only a few eminent people were probably allowed to bring their women folk with them. It is believed that this band of soldiers in the jungles of Coorg, not having women to marry, raided the areas surrounding Coorg for women folk to carry away and settle in Coorg with which possibility leads us to look at the regions of South Canara, Kerala, and the Old Mysore region as where the female ancestry could be from which could probably explain the profusion of neighbouring tongues in ours. But the original still does put in an appearance. Today there are Greek words and phrases in the Kodava dialect. The casual greeting “En ray” has a parallel in the Greek “En Lay”.

Geography
Kodagu lies on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats. It is a mountainous district, presenting throughout a series of wooded hills and deep valleys; the lowest elevations are 900 m above sea-level. The highest peak, Tadiandamol, has an altitude of 1,750 m; Pushpagiri, another peak, is 1,715 m high. The principal river is the Kaveri River, which rises at Talakaveri on the eastern side of the Western Ghats, and with its tributaries drains the greater part of Kodagu. In. the rainy season, which lasts during the continuance of the southwest monsoon, or from June to the end of September, the rivers flow with violence and great rapidity. In July and August the rainfall is high, and the month of November is often showery. The yearly rainfall may exceed 4,000 mm; in the dense jungle tract it reaches from 3,000 to 3,800 mm; the bamboo district in the west from 1,500 to 2,500 mm. Kodagu has an average temperature of about 15 °C, the extremes being 11 °C and 28 °C. The hottest season is in April and May.

The principal town and district capital is Madikeri or Mercara, with a population of around 30,000. Other significant towns are Virajpet (Viraranjendrapet), and Somwarpet. The district is divided into the three administrative talukas of Madikeri, Virajpet, and Somwarpet.

Some of the south of the district is part of the Nagarahole National Park, part of a complex of wildlife sanctuaries that stretch into neighbouring parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Flora and fauna

Much of the district is cultivated. Characteristic scenery has rice fields in valley bases, with plantation crops with tree cover in the surrounding hills. The most common plantations are of coffee; however many other crops are grown, including pepper, para rubber, teak, and cocoa. In some regions there is still natural forest, especially toward the forest reserves in the south.

The flora of the jungle includes Michelia champaca (Champak), Mesua (Ironwood), Diospyros (Ebony and other species), Toona ciliata (Indian mahogany), Chickrassia tubularis (Redcedar), Calophyllum angustifolium (Poon spar), Canarium strictum (Black Dammar), Artocarpus, Dipterocarpus, Garcinia, Euonymus, Cinnamomum, Myristica, Vaccinium, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae, Rubus (three species), and a rose. In the undergrowth are found cardamom, Areca, plantains, canes, wild Black pepper, tree and other ferns, and arums. In the forest of the less thickly-wooded bamboo country in the west of Kodagu the most common trees are the Dalbergia latifolia (Black wood), Pterocarpus marsupium (Kino tree), Terminalia coriacea (Mutti), Lagerstroemia parvifiora (Benteak), Conocarpus latifolius (Dindul), Bassia latifolia, Butea frondosa, Nauclea parvifiora, and several species of Acacia, with which, in the eastern part of the district, Teak and Sandalwood occur. Among the fauna may be mentioned the Indian Elephant, Tiger, Asiatic Golden Cat, Cheetah, Dhole, Boar, several species of deer, hares, monkeys. Hornbills and various other birds occur, and the cobra di capello, and a few alligators.

People:
A Kodava woman in traditional dressThe population in 2001 was 545,322, increasing 11.64% from 1991 to 2001, and 5.75% from 1981 to 1991.
The people of the district are of a number of distinct ethnic or caste origins. However, political and economic domination is with those who bear the name of the area, the Kodava. Other communities have also been traditionally established in the district, including many recent migrants from neighbouring areas.

The Kodava :
The Kodava community numbers about 100,000 in the district, out of a total population of over 500,000. They are of unknown origin, and are ethnically somewhat distinct from the other people of the area and surrounding areas. However, they have been long established in the area.
The names of Kodava people are characteristic and include a clan name. The clan is central to Kodava culture and families trace their lineage through clans. Marriage within a clan is discouraged. They are nominally Hindu, but do not usually accept Brahmin priests, preferring that ceremonies are conducted by their own. There are distinctive dresses, the men wearing wraparound robes (now only seen at ceremonial occasions), and the women with a distinctive style of wearing the sari. They have many distinctive practices such as carrying ceremonial knifes, and martial war dances. The culture also includes communal gatherings where drink, dance and special meat dishes seasoned with Garcinia are central attractions.

A newly-wed Kodava couple.The most famous son of Kodagu is Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa the first Commander-in-Chief (as a general) of the armed forces of free India. He was elevated to the honorary title of Field Marshal at age of 83.

Fairs and Festivals:
Kali Podu in September, Huthri in November/December and Madikeri Dassera.