Chamarajanagar district

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Coordinates: 11.99° N 76.83° E

Chamarajanagar District
Chamarajanagar District
State	Karnataka
Headquarters	Chamarajanagar town
Division	Mysore
Sub-district	Yelandur, Gundlupet, Chamarajanagar, Kollegal, Hanur
Coordinates	11.99° N 76.83° E
Area	5101 sq. km km²
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001)  - Density	965462  - 189/km²
Deputy Commissioner
Codes  - Postal  - Telephone  - Vehicle	- 571 3xx  - +08226  - KA-10

Chamarajanagar ಚಾಮರಾಜನಗರ is the southern-most district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was carved out of the original larger Mysore District in the year 1998. Chamarajanagar town is the headquarters of this district.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Places to see 4.1 Religious sites 4.2 Wildlife Sanctuaries 4.3 Waterfalls 4.4 Trekking 5 Further Information 6 External Links

[edit] History

Chamarajanagar was earlier known as Arikottara. Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Wodeyar king of Mysore was born here and hence this place was renamed after him. The Vijaya Parsvanath Basadi, a holy Jain shrine was constructed by Punisadandanayaka, the commander of the Hoysala king Gangaraja in the year 1117 A.D.

[edit] Geography

Being the southernmost district of Karnataka, Chamarajanagar district borders the state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Specifically, it borders Mysore district of Karnataka to the west and north, Mandya and Bangalore districts of Karnataka to the north-east. Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu to the east, Salem and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu to the south-east, Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu to the south and Wayanad district of Kerala to the south-west.

Most part of the district lies in the leeward region of the Nilgiris and consists of mainly semi-arid rain dependent flatlands along with forested hills

[edit] Demographics

According to the census conducted in 2001, Chamarajanagar district has a population of 965462 of which 489940 are males and 475522 are females. Having a large percentage of forest cover, the district also has a high population of forest-dwelling tribals; prominent among them are the Soligas, Yeravas, Jenu Kurubas and Betta Kurubas. These tribals have their own dialect and their total population is said to be around 82000. The literacy level of Chamarajanagar district is 51%, unfortunately one of the lowest in the state.

[edit] Places to see

[edit] Religious sites

• MM Hills : Malai Mahadeshwara Hills (short form: MM Hills), is an important Shaiva pilgrimage centre in the Kollegal Taluk. The yearly chariot festival (locally called 'jatre') at the MM Hills brings many devotees. The temple is situated within the MM Hills Reserve Forest, not very far from where the river Kaveri flows into Tamil Nadu.

• BR Hills : Biligiri Rangana Betta (short form: BR Hills), is a hillock in the Yelandur Taluk and is famous for the Ranganathaswamy temple.

• Kanakagiri : Kanakagiri in Chamarajanagar Taluk is a famous Jain pilgrim centre. It is described as Hemanga Desha in ancient works and is said that Bhagwan Sri Mahavira visited this place during his visit to South India.

• GS Betta : Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta (short form: GS Betta is a hill near the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gundlupet Taluk. It is famous for the Gopalaswamy temple which is atop the hill. Gopalaswamy is an incarnation of the Hindu God Krishna.

• Dodda Sampige Mara: Located 4 kms from BR Hills, Dodda Sampige Mara is the location where a large Champaka tree, 34 mts in height and 20 mts of girth is present. Near its trunk, there are many Lingams (around 100) which are worshipped by the pilgrims who come here. Near the tree flows the stream Bhargavi which is a tributary of Kaveri. This stream is supposed to be an incarnation of Renuka, the wife of the revered Hindu sage, Jamadagni.

[edit] Wildlife Sanctuaries

• Bandipur : Bandipur is a well known wildlife sanctuary in the Gundlupet Taluk straddling the state's border with Tamil Nadu. It is also a tiger reserve and part of the Project Tiger initiative. Apart from tiger, the other animals found here include gaur, elephant, panther and wild dogs. It is contiguous with the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary which is across the state border in Tamil Nadu.

• BR Hills : Apart from being a religious centre, BR Hills is also the location of the BR Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. It is spread over an area of 539.52 sq. km. Some of the important animals found here are tigers, sloth bears, elephants and gaurs.

[edit] Waterfalls

• Hogenakal : Hogenakal is a famous waterfall where the river Kaveri cascades down a gorge to give a breathtaking view. It is in the Kollegal Taluk and right on the border between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

[edit] Trekking

The Forest Department of Karnataka has come up with an initiative called Mystery Trails to promte eco-tourism by organising treks through the rich forests of Chamarajanagar district. Some of the proposed trekking routes are:

• Bedaguli to Jodigere to Bylore
• BR Hills to Chenni Halla
• MM Hills to Naaga Male
• Bheemeshwari to Chellure Hill
• Elephant Camp to Muthathi
• Yerekem Halla to Gopinatham

[edit] Further Information

Since much of the southern area of the district is dense forest, it provided good refuge to the notorious bandit Veerappan, responsible for the death of over a hundred policemen. He was shot dead in an encounter with the specially formed Special Task Force (STF) in mid 2004, in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. He had been on the run for several years.

The presence of illegal quarrying for black stone imposes a great threat to the forests in the region.

[edit] External Links

• Mystery Trails - Eco-tourism in Chamarajanagar
• Maps Of India - Map of Chamarajanagar district