Madikeri

The town of Madikeri lies in the district of Coorg. This city is nearest to the cities of Mysore and Mangalore. This city attracts a lot of tourists because of its natural beauty and culture. This city is popular hill station in the Western Ghats. Tourists coming for the tours of Coorg visit this city without fail.

Tourists can reach Madikeri by the national highway. Tourists an easily catch buses from the cities of Mysore and Mangalore. As this town does not have a railway station, tourists have to get down at Hassan or Kasaragod to reach the town by bus.

There are various places to see in Madikeri. One of the main attractions of this town is the abbey falls. This fall is located at the distance of 10 km from the main town. This fall attracts nature lovers as well as other tourists. Today a bridge has been built to allow the tourists to get a good view of the falls. The entrance of the abbey falls can be reached by the cars. Then you have to walk down 500m to reach the falls. The abbey falls are located near the Raja's seat.

The raja's seat is a porch surrounded by gardens. This is the most picturesque area of the town. The porch is overlooking the green valleys of the Western Ghats. The Madikeri fort was built in the 17th century, by Tipu Sultan. Tipu sultan used granite to build this fort. There is a palace inside the fort which was renovated by the Lingarajendra Wodeyar II.

Today the forts and palace attract a large number of tourists. The Kushalnagar Namdroling Monastry, the Bhagamandla temple and the Talacauvery are some other sites which should not be missed during your tour to Madikeri. For the entertainment in Madikeri tourists can visit the dubbre elephant camp. Here you can watch mahouts bathing and feeding elephants. Tourists can even try elephant riding while visiting his camp. Try boating in the river Cauvery or take walks around the coffee estates of the town.

For the adventurous tourists there are white river rafting and trekking facilities. Many tourists visit Madikeri for trekking purpose. There are nature trails from Madikeri to Brahmagiri peak. Or the 14 km trail to Igguthappa Kundu etc.

The Nagarhole sanctuary is located at the distance of 80 km from Madikeri. This park is full of the native flora and fauna of the state. Tourists can see animals like deer, wild boars, elephants etc in their natural habitat. Tourists can also go trekking on the nature trail that leads to the Nagarhole national park.

The best time to visit Madikeri is during monsoons and festivals. The main festival of the people in this town is Kailpodhu, Cauvery Sankramana, Puttri and Dasara. The Karaga festival is celebrated during the Navaratri. During Dasara people take out a beautiful procession of the mantapas. For the accommodation facilities in Madikeri tourists can stay at the local hotels and lodges.

Though these hotels are not luxury hotels they provide good services and amenities. For local transportation, tourists can use cycles and rickshaws. Hence on your tour to Coorg do visit the city of Madikeri for the experience of your life.

Last Updated On: 2011/07/12