Chikkamagaluru district

Chikkamagaluru (ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು in Kannada), is a district in the n state of. Chikkamagaluru is where coffee was first cultivated in India. The mountains here which are a part of the are the source of rivers like  and. Chikkamagaluru district also contains ; which is the highest peak in. It is also a tourist's paradise containing hill stations like and  and waterfalls like  and Kallathigiri. Chikkamagaluru district has a rich history as is seen in the temple at. Wildlife enthusiasts would be interested in the and  present in this district.

Etymology
Chikkamagaluru district gets its name from its headquarters of city. It is alternatively spelt as Chickmagalur or Chikmagalur. literally means "The town of the younger daughter" in the native language. The town is said to have been given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakrepatna and hence the name .As one can guess, there is indeed a town called Hiremagaluru which means "The town of the elder daughter" which is about 5 km from city.

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

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

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

Geography
Chikkamagaluru, the district head quarters of Chikkamagaluru district is 251 km from the state capital of and surrounded by the  hills and dense forests. 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. The district receives normal average rainfall of 1925 mm. The highest point in this district is, 1926 mts. above sea level which is also the highest point in the state of. 30% of the district (2108.62 km²) is covered with forests. The district borders district to the north,  district to the north-east,  and  districts to the east,  district to the south,  district to the south-west and  district to the west. The rivers, , , , and flow all year round. The district is rich in, and  deposits. Black soil is found around Giri Hills where as Red and Gravel soil are found in the southern parts of the district.

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

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

Economy
Agriculture is the economical back bone of the Chikkamagaluru district with cultivation forming the major part of it. Agricultural production in the district is spread over three seasons - namely, and Summer. Important crops grown are cereals, i.e. rice,, , maize and minor millets, pulses like , , , avrekai , and. Oil seeds like, , sunflower, castor and commercial crops like sugarcane, cotton, and 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 being the dominant variety grown in upper hills and  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 and 20,000 MT of. The average productivity per hectare is 810 Kgs for and 1110 Kgs of, which are higher than the national average ..

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.

There is only one Large Scale industry in this district, i.e. M/s Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) in  area of  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. KIOCL received a massive setback when its mining licence expired and operations were stopped by the Supreme Court with effect from 31 Dec, 2005. . 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.

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

There are 2 Industrial Estates in Chikkamagaluru district, one located near Chikkamagaluru town and the other near in  Taluk. The Chikkamagaluru Industrial Estate is spread over 13.20 acres of land where the one at is spread over 11.1 acres. Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) is also developing an Industrial Area of over 145 acres near Amble village of Chikkamagaluru Taluk.

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 state which is 67.04%. Taluk has the highest literacy rate of 80.78% and 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. Taluk with 414 primary schools (42774 students) has the most number of primary schools with Taluk having the least number of 80 primary schools (5822 students). Taluk with 74 secondary schools (9990 students) has the most number of secondary schools with Taluk having the least number of 9 secondary schools (1492 students).

Higher Secondary Education
As of 2001, there are 46 colleges (with 4711 students) offering Higher Secondary (Pre-University) education in Chikkamagaluru district. Taluk with 12 Higher-Secondary colleges (1324 students) has the most number of Higher-secondary colleges with Taluk having the least number of 2 Higher-secondary colleges (160 students).

Graduate education
As of 2001, there are 13 degree colleges (with 4615 students) offering graduate education in Chikkamagaluru district. Chikkamagaluru Taluk has the maximum 4 graduate colleges (with 1648 students) whereas, , and  taluks have only 1 graduate college each.

Technical education

 * : There is one Engineering College located in Chikkamagaluru city, i.e. Sri Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology. The courses offered here are Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information Science and technology, Industrial producation Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering. This college is affiliated to Visweswariah Technological University located at.


 * : There are 3 polytechnics offering diploma courses to students in Chikkamagaluru district . They are:
 * Adichunchanagiri Polytechnic, Chikkamagaluru: Offering Diploma courses in Electronics and Communication and Computer Science
 * DACG Polytechnic, Chikkamagaluru: Offering Diploma courses in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Automobile Engineering
 * SJMM Vidyapeeta Polytechnic, : Offering Diploma courses in Civil Engineering and Telecommunication Engineering.


 * Industrial Training Institutes: There are 7 Industrial training institutes in Chikkamagaluru district . They are:
 * Government Industrial Training Institure, Chikkamagaluru
 * Government Industrial Training Institure,
 * SDM Industrial Training Institute, Samse, Taluk
 * SJR Industrial Training Institute, Balehonnur, Taluk
 * SJM Industrial Training Institute,, Taluk
 * Industrial Training Institute, Chikkkamagaluru
 * Lakshmisha Industrial Training Institute, Devanoor, Taluk.
 * Maruthi Industrial Training Institute,

Medical Education
There are no medical colleges offering Medical education in Chikkamagaluru district. There is one college offering Medical education; i.e. Arror Laxminarayan Rao Memorial  Medical college in. This college offers a graduation course in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicene and Surgery (BAMS)

Road
Chikkamagaluru district is not known for well maintained roads. . The poor state of the roads has hampered development of this district to some extent; more so because of the absence of even a good rail network in this district. The total length of roads in this district is 7264 km. There are only two National Highways that pass through this district. The National Highway NH-13 ( to ) passes through the towns of and  where as the National Highway NH-206 ( to )  passes through the towns of,  and. There is a proposal to upgrade the existing state highways -, - & - to national highway status.

Rail
The and  taluks have railway lines passing through them. The total length of railway line passing through the district is 91 km of which 51 km is in taluk and 40 km is in  taluk. station is a major junction in this district where the railway line from bifurcates into two, with one line going towards  and the other towards. The district headquarters, Chikkamagaluru city does not have a railway station which is one of the reasons for the isolation of Chikkamagaluru city from the rest of the state. A new line is being laid between and  in  district which should pass through Chikkamagaluru city.

Air
Chikkamagaluru district does not have an airport. Airports at, and  can be used as an alternative. However, there are plans to develop an airport near Marle village about 10 km from Chikkamagaluru city.

Hill Stations

 * : 55 km north from Chikkamagaluru town is, a scenic hill station on the range of hills.  is also known as K.R. Hills after the Wodeyar King, Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who had made it his favourite summer camp. , 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  range and blessed with silver cascades of mountain streams and lush vegetation. Its beautifully laid out ornamental gardens and enchanting mountain and valley views are a treat to the eye. Spectacular sunsets are a must see from various locations in the district, even from the Raj Bhavan. For the adventurous, Kemmangundi offers many peaks to scale and intricate jungle paths to explore. This place has a beautiful rose garden and other attractions. There is a place called Z-point at about 10 minutes walk from this main place which gives a nice arial view of the  grass lands of the.
 * ' and ': 95 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru town is range (in Kannada Kudure = horse and mukha = face), so named because of the unique shape of the  peak. Overlooking the, the broad hills are chained to one another with deep valley & steep precipices. Situated at 1,894.3 meters above sea level,  is rich in iron ore deposits. The  Iron Ore Company conducts mining operations, benefaction and transportation of the ore as slurry through pipelines to the port at  near.


 * : is part of the  Hill Ranges here. It stands 1930 meters tall and is the tallest peak in . Its height is famous mostly for watching sunsets from. It is 16 km from Chikkamagaluru town. Driving to  is worth taking a risk. On the way is Sitalayanagiri where the water in the  temple neither increases nor decreases. The road to  is very narrow with a views from steep cliffs. Driving to the peak is not possible and includes a trek up the hill from the half way point. There is a small temple on top of the hill. From the topmost point of the hill the  is visible on clear days. The small hillock in the temple compound is the highest point in . The narrow road to the temple makes two way traffic immpossible. It is a great trekking spot in.


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

Water 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 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, 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, . 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.


 * Hanumana Gundi Falls: Located 32 km. from the, 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 National Park.

Temple Towns

 * : 90 km west of Chikkamagaluru town is situated on the banks of Tunga, a Vedic Peetha established by Sri, the exponent of the  philosophy in 9th Century A.D. It is famous for Vidyashankara Temple originally constructed by the s and later completed by the founders of the  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 is 100 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru and has an ancient, which has been renovated recently. With the installation of the new image of Adi Shakti, now the temple is called . The place attracts lots of pilgrims who are provided free boarding and lodging by the temple.
 * : is 92 km southwest of Chikkamagaluru and situated on the banks of the river . It is surrounded by lofty hills of the  and is looked upon as one of the pancha-kshetras on the banks of the . Close by are the pancha theerthas, the five sacred ponds. On a small hillock here is the Kalaseshwara temple in dedicated to, with a Kshetrapala shrine of soap stone in  style nearby. The  bande, a large boulder at one of the theerthas here, is supposed to have been placed by Shri  the founder of the  school of philosophy. A statue of this acharya is carved on the upper portion of the rock.


 * Guru Dattatreya Bababudanswamy Darga: Situated on the 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.


 * : 67 km north of Chikkamagaluru, Amrithapura is known for the Amritheshwara temple built in 1196 A.D by Amriteshwara Dandanayaka, a general of the ruler  II. Delicacy of touch, originality of design and fine features have made this temple one of the notable structures of the  period.


 * : Located 29 km southeast of Chikkamagaluru town on the Chikkamagaluru-Javagal road and 10 km north west of, is famous for Ornate temple of Veeranarayana.  is also famous for the temple of 'Udbhava '.

Wildlife

 * : Occupying 495 km². of wildlife sanctuary and Project tiger reserve, this region is an important watershed of the . The huge reservoir here is the main to several districts in the rain shadow regions of south . The forests here are rich in  and birds species unique to both the  and  ranges.


 * : 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 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.