Chikmagalur district
Chikmagalur district, officially Chikkamagaluru district is an administrative district in the Malnad subregion of Karnataka, India.
It was called Kadur (Cuddoor) district till 1947. Coffee was first cultivated in India in Chikmagalur. The hills of Chikmagalur are parts of the Western Ghats and the source of Tunga and Bhadra rivers. Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka is located in the district. The area is well known for the Sringeri Mutt that houses the Dakshina Peeta established by Adi Shankaracharya.
Getting to Chikmagalur district
Reachable by road or train from Bangalore. Bus journey takes 5.5 hr either via Kadur (NH206) or Hassan (NH48). Train journey takes almost 3-3.5 hr (till Kadur/Birur). As of 2006, there is no direct connectivity by train (a rail line between Kadur and Chikkamagaluru is under construction). One need to alight at Kadur/Birur and take bus to Chikmagalur for 40 km (45 minutes).
Worth seeing
Amrutapura Temple in the village of Amrutapura, 67 km north of Chikmagalur. Balehonnur. Veera Narayana Temple is a well-known temple in Belavadi village approximately 30 km from Chikmagalur. Shree Kshetra Horanadu Annapooraneshwari Temple (Buses not frequent from Chikmaglur. Regular buses available from Bangalore & Hassan via Mudigere).
Things to do
Camp and jungle safari at Bhadra Tiger Reserve,. Trekking at Kudremukh National park, Kemmannagundi, Ballalrayanadurga fort. Numerous waterfalls during rainy season
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Prof (CC BY-SA 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.