Madikeri

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?Madikeri Karnataka • India
Raja's Seat on a foggy morning in Madikeri
Madikeri
Coordinates: 12°25′15″N 75°44′23″E / 12.4208, 75.7397
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
District(s)	Kodagu
Population	32,286 (2001)
Mayor
Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle	• 571 201 • +0827 • KA-12

Coordinates: 12°25′15″N 75°44′23″E / 12.4208, 75.7397

Madikeri (Kannada:ಮಡಿಕೇರಿ) is a town in Karnataka state, India. Also known as Mercara, it is the headquarters of Kodagu district.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Demographics 4 Geography 5 Culture 6 Festivals 7 Getting there 7.1 By Road 7.2 By Rail 7.3 By Air 8 Places to see 9 Trekking Destination 10 References

[edit] Etymology

Madikeri was formerly known as Muddurajakeri. Muddurajakeri which means Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king, Mudduraja who ruled Kodagu from 1633-1687.

The form of the name often used in English, Mercara, is derived from Madikeri by a standard transformation of the retroflex 'd' to an 'r' consonant.

[edit] History

The history of Madikeri is related to the history of Kodagu. From the 2nd to 6th century AD, the northern part of Kodagu was ruled by Kadambas. The southern part of Kodagu was ruled by Gangas from 4th to 11th century. After defeating the Gangas in the 11th century, Cholas became the rulers of Kodagu. In the 12th century, Cholas lost Kodagu to the Hoysalas. Kodagu fell to the Vijayanagar kings in the 14th century. After their fall, the local chieftains (Palegars) started ruling their areas directly. These were defeated by the Haleri kings who ruled Kodagu from 1600-1834 A.D. Haleri kings made the place Haleri, near Madikeri as their capital. Mudduraja, the third king among the Haleri kings started leveling the land around Madikeri and built a fort in the year 1681. This place was named as Muddurajakeri which later became Madikeri. Kodagu became the part of British India after 1834 A.D.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[1], Madikeri had a population of 32,286. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Madikeri had an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 83%, and female literacy 79%. 11% of the population was under 6 years of age. This town is situated at an elevation of over 5,000 ft above sea level. ^[2]

The main language of Madikeri is Kodava Takk though most of the people here are bilingual in Kannada.

[edit] Geography

Madikeri is located at 12.42° N 75.73° E^[3]. It has an average elevation of 1062 metres (3484 feet).

Madikeri lies in the Western Ghats and is a popular hill station. It lies at an altitude of 1,170 meters above sea level. The nearest cities are Mangalore to the west, and Mysore to the east.

[edit] Culture

Madikeri is the land of the Kodavas. The names of Kodava people are characteristic and include a clan name. The clan is central to Kodava culture and families trace their lineage through clans. They have distinctive dresses, the men wearing wraparound robes called the Kupya (now only seen at ceremonial occasions), and the women with a distinctive style of wearing the sari. The Kodava woman wears a sari with the pleats at the back. They have many distinctive practices such as carrying ceremonial knives, and martial war dances. The culture also includes communal gatherings where drink, dance and special meat dishes seasoned with Garcinia are central attractions.

The main local language of Madikeri is Kodava Takk though most of the people here are bilingual in Kannada.

[edit] Festivals

In Madikeri the main festivals celebrated are Kailpodhu, Kaveri Sankramana, Puttari and Dasara. Karaga festival also starts during the time of Navarathri. Madikeri Dasara procession is a very beautiful procession of mantapas.

[edit] Getting there

[edit] By Road

Madikeri lies on the Karnataka State Highway 88 that runs from Mysore to Mangalore. It is 120 km from Mysore and 136 km from Mangalore. From Bangalore, the state capital of Karnataka, one can take the State Highway 17 (Bangalore - Mysore Highway) and take a deviation just after the town of Srirangapatna to join State Highway 88 towards Madikeri. From Bangalore, Madikeri is at a distance of 252 km. Nearby towns are Hassan (115 km) in Karnataka state and Cannanore and Tellicherry in the Kerala state (each around 115 km. away).

[edit] By Rail

Madikeri does not have a railway station. Nearest railheads are Hassan, Kasaragod, Cannanore and Tellicherry (each of which are almost equidistant 115 km away). Mysore and Mangalore have railway stations with very good rail connectivity and are good alternatives to reach Madikeri.

[edit] By Air

Madikeri does not have an airport. The nearest airports are Mangalore (136 km. away) and Calicut (180 km). Bangalore airport is an alternative. However, with the upgradation of the existing Mysore airport, that would be the nearest airport to Madikeri.

[edit] Places to see

• Raja's Seat: At the Western End of Madikeri, Raja's Seat is a small pavilion with a garden surrounding it; offering a view of the green valley below.

• Madikeri Fort: This fort was first built by Mudduraja in the last quarter of the 17th century. He also built a palace inside the fort. It was eventually rebuilt in granite by Tipu Sultan who named the site as Jaffarabad. In 1790, Doddavira Rajendra took control of the fort. The British who added to the fort in 1834. The palace was renovated by Lingarajendra Wodeyar II in 1812-1814. In the north-east corner at the entrance are two life size masonry elephants and a church is present in the south-east corner.

• Abbey Falls: Located 10 km from Madikeri, Abbey Falls is a breathtaking waterfall where the Kaveri river cascades down a rockface. A hanging bridge has now been built across the gorge here offering a good view of the falls. The falls can be reached by a narrow road from Madikeri. Cars can reach the entrance of these falls from where a downhill walk of 500 metres (on slightly paved steps) takes one to the waterfalls.
• KushalNagar Namdroling Monastery: Located 34 km from Madikeri, the Golden Temple at Kushalnagar is enchanting and will
  

transform you to a different world altogether. Buses ply frequently between Madikeri and KushalNagar

• Bhagamandala Temple :
  36 km from Madikeri. This temple is built at the confluence of three rivers(Cauvery, Kannika and Sujyothi). The temple is built in Kerala style.
  

• Talacauvery :
  45 km from Madikeri. Cauvery river starts here. We can see a very beautiful view of western gaths by climbing the Brahmagiri Hill.
  

• Nisargadhama :
  3 km from Kushalnagar, there's a beautiful picnic spot called Nisargadhama.
  

You can take an elephant ride, watch deer and take a walk along the Kaveri river. It also has a small nice hanging bridge across the river.

• Dubare Elephant camp:
  

Elephant rides apart, you'll see mahouts feeding elephants bathing them and a lot of tuskers here.
Do visit this place for a boat ride, some rafting and playing endlessly in the Kaveri river.
And of course the beautiful cauvery. Crossing the river to take you to the side of the camp is quite adventurous.
Located perpendicular to the main road connecting Madikeri and Kushalnagar(3km from Kushal nagar on the main road).
and at a deviation of 10 km from the main road, the stretch is beautiful passing through rice fields and coffee estates too

[edit] Trekking Destination

• Thadiyandamole(5729ft):
  Micro hotspot of bio-diversity in South India, the Trekkers paradise. Breathtaking views of Arabian sea and Kerala cost.
• Pushpagiri(5626ft):
  Trekkers can cross to Subramanya, in Dakshina Kannada district from Pushpagiri Range.
• KoteBetta(5400ft):
  Trekking distance 14 km to and fro; 22 km from Madikeri.
• Igguthappa Kundu:
  Trekking distance 12 km to and fro; 40 km from Madikeri.
• Brahmagiri:
  Wild life sanctuary near Nagarahole National Park. Trekking distance 24 km to and fro; 80 km from Madikeri.
• Nishanimotte :
  Trekking distance 12 km to and fro; 6 km from Madikeri.

^[4]

[edit] References