Coorg
Kodavas, the local people, have lived in Kodagu (Modern Coorg) for centuries. Besides being the earliest agriculturists in the land, they belong to a warrior community.
During war times and while protecting their crops from wild boars and other predators, they used to carry arms.
Kodavas were ruled by the Haleri dynasty, followed by the British.
Haleri Dynasty
Coorg today is divided into Madikeri and Virajpet districts.
Madikeri was formerly known as Muddu Raja Keri, named after the prominent king Mudduraja.
Virajpet was formerly known as Virajendra-pete, after the king Dodda Virajendra.
The Haleris ruled the land from 1600-1834 AD.
How British Ruled Kodagu
Kodagu has an exciting history of rulers. After the death of the king Lingaraja I, Hyder Ali captured Kodagu, under the pretext of being a guardian of the king’s sons.
The Kodavas were very angry at the takeover and revolted against Haider Ali in 1782. While Haider Ali was fighting the British, they threw him over and proclaimed their independence.
After Haider’s death, Tipu Sultan wanted to recapture Kodagu and waged battles against King Dodda Virajendra, who entered into an alliance with the British and moved to a thickly forested area called Nalknad and converted it into his base for operations by building the Nalknad palace.
He didn’t have any sons from his second wife also, and after his death, his ten year old daughter, Devammaji was declared the queen of Kodagu.
Younger brother of the King, Ling Rajendra saw opportunity and proclaimed himself as the king of Kodagu and ruled until he died. After his death, his son Chikka Veerajendra began ruling but didn’t couldn’t maintain cordial relations with the British.
Finally British attacked Kodagu with full force and the last king was deported to Benaras.
British then ruled Kodagu from 1834 until the Indian independence in 1947
Coorg at a Glance
Kodagu (Coorg), the thickly wooded grandeur on the Western Ghats, is the most beautiful hill station of Karnataka.
Occupying an area of 4,102 square kilometers (1,584 sq mi) in the Western Ghats, Coorg is located at the latitude of 12.408 and the longitude of 75.348.
The highest peak, Tadiandamol, rises to 1,750 meters (5,740 ft), with Pushpagiri.
The main river in Kodagu is the Kaveri (Cauvery), which originates at Talakaveri, located on the eastern side of the Western Ghats.
Kodagu ( Coorg) is considered rich with wildlife and has three wildlife sanctuaries and one national park: the Brahmagiri, Talakaveri, and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuaries, and the Nagarhole National Park, also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
Places of Interest
Omkareshwar Temple / Raja's Seat / Abbi Falls / Tala Cauvery
The Fort with Palace / Irupu Falls / Gadduge / Chelevar Falls
Harangi Dam / Dubare / Golden Temple / Nagarhole / Mandalapatti
Yemmemadu Dargah(Soofi Shahid) / Mallalli Falls