Spanning over 4,ooo sq.km of area, Coorg is the ‘Switzerland of India’. The hills, waterfalls and mountain trekking routes will entice you to spend a week in the district. With about 80 per cent forest area, Coorg is what you can call a trekker’s paradise. The climate is pleasant and inviting. Houses and bungalows dot the spice and coffee plantations.Coorg borders Hassan to the north, Dakshin Kannada to the northwest, Mysore to the east and Wayanad and Kannur of Kerala to the south. Its capital, Mercara, also known as Madikeri, is more than 1,500m above sea level.
Kodavas, or Coorgs are known for their valour and distinct lifestyle. Their language, culture and traditions are different from those of the Kannadigas even though they are part of the same state - Karnataka. Coorg also has communities such as the Gowdas, Bengalis, Tulus, Malayalees and Moplahs from Malabar.
The area was earlier called Kodaimalenadu, meaning ‘dense forest on steep hill’. Cauveramma and Igguthappa are the family deities of the Coorgs. Some believe that they are named after the River Cauvery – in their language ‘kod’ means ‘give’ and ‘ava’ means ‘mother’. They consider Cauvery as the ‘mother to the people’. Some others believe that it originated from the Kannada ‘kudu’ which means ‘dense forest on a steep hill’.
Highways connect Coorg with Mysore, Mangalore and Bangalore. The Mysore-Mangalore Highway (NH48) passes through Coorg. Roads connect it with Calicut, Sultan Bathery, Tellichery and Kannur in Kerala. There are frequent buses, too, to these areas. Mysore railway station is 146km away.
The closest airport is in Mangalore - about 135km away. Bangalore airport is 260km away.
