Chikkamagaluru is one of the district in the state of Karnataka.  It was first here the coffee was cultivated in India.  There are mountains here that are part of the Western Ghats and are also the source of rivers like Tunga and Bhadra.  Chikkamagaluru district also encompasses Mullayanagiri; which is also the highest peak in the state of Karnataka and a tourist destination too surrounding hill stations like Kemmanagundi, Kudremukh, and waterfalls like Manikyadhara, Hebbe, and Kallathigiri. Chikkamagaluru district has a vast history as seen in the Hoysala temple at Amrithapura.  It is a place for wildlife enthusiasts, with Kudremukh National Park and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary located in this district.

Chikkamagalur district got its name from its headquarters of Chikkamagaluru city.  The literal meaning of Chikkamagaluru is "The town of the younger daughter" in the native Kannada language.  This town is said to have been given as a gift to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the renowned chief of Sakrepatna and hence it got this name.  It is obvious to guess, there is also a town called Hiremagaluru which means "The town of the elder daughter" about 5 km from Chikkamagaluru city.

Chikmagalur History

In Chikkamagaluru, Hoysala rulers started and spent much of their early days of their dynasty.  According to myth, it was at Sosevur, now known with Angadi in Mudigere Taluk that Sala, the originator of the Hoysala dynasty, killed the legendary tiger, immortalised in the Hoysala summit.  However, researchers have found lot of discrepancy in this story and it seems to be more of myths.  However, it is said that Veera Ballala II, the great king of Hoysala Empire, has built the Amriteshwara temple at Amrithapura in Tarikere Taluk.

The first coffee crop was grown in the Baba Budan Giri Hills during 1670 AD through the Chikkamagaluru district and introduced into India.  According to the history Origins of Coffee, the saint Baba Budan on his pilgrimage to Mecca traveled through the docks of Mocha, Yemen where he first coffee was discovered and to introduce its flavor to India, he had wrapped seven coffee beans around his belly and got them out of Arabia.  On his way home, he seeded the beans in the hills of Chikkamagaluru, which are now renamed as Baba Budan Hills in his tribute. Of late, Chikkamagaluru was the center of global awareness in the year 1978 when the former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi got elected from here to Lok Sabha, the Indian Parliament.

Chikmagalur Tourism

Tourist places in Chikmagalur
Hill stations
Kemmangundi
Kudremukh and Kudremukh National Park
Mullayanagiri
Baba Budan Giri (Datta peeta)
Waterfalls and lakes
Manikyadhara Falls
Kallathigiri Falls
Hebbe Falls
Shanti Falls
Hanumana Gundi Falls
Kadambi Falls
Sirimane Falls
Hirekolale lake
Ayyenkere lake
Temple towns
Sringeri
Horanadu
Kalasa
Guru Dattatreya Bababudanswamy Darga
Amritapura
Belavadi
Wildlife
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Kudremukh National Park