Madikeri which is also known as Mercara is a small yet beautiful cool hill station. This place is located in the lap of Mother Nature in the Western Ghats in Karnataka.
This place is popularly known as the 'Scotland of India'. It is the headquarters of Coorg district in Karnataka. The moment you step down from the vehicle, you feel cool and will be enchanted at the beauty of the mist-clad hills, lush emerald green forests, vast stretch of coffee plantations and the breath-taking views.
Coorg coffee is equally tasty as that of Nilgiris coffee. The aroma that spreads from the steaming hot cup of coffee in cool mornings is irresistible for the coffee-lovers.
Mysore is the nearest Railway Station and from here either you can take a private cab or travel in KSRTC buses. You can enjoy the bus ride on the twisting ghat roads.
During our visit to this place in the month of May, we had a comfortable stay at the home-stay. The house owners were very friendly and made us feel at home.
Madikeri is a paradise for the nature-lovers, where you can see Mother Nature at her best particularly in the early morning. The place was cool and we were wakened by the sweet and melodious chirping of birds in the serene atmosphere. Our hearts were filled with joy on seeing the beautiful mist-clad mountains early when we went for a walk down the hill. We felt as if we were in a completely different world far far away from the maddening crowd. A morning walk in the ups and downs of the place, gives you a real refreshing feeling and recharges your body, mind and soul as well.
The local deity of the place is Omkareshwar which is a Shiva temple that was constructed in 1820 CE by King Vira Raja. Omkareshwara temple is blend of Gothic style of architecture with a traditional Islamic Dome and minarets in the corners of the temple. This unique temple structure is a perfect example of communal harmony.
The other attractions of the place include:
KSTDC is making all efforts to provide facilities to the tourists. All these make Madikeri a wonderful hill station which is a must-see tourist place. People from all parts of the country can visit this place which is easily reachable by bus. A visit to this lovely locale which is not so expensive not only gives you enjoyment and entertainment but also helps in recharging your mind, body and soul and makes you refresh. There are many such wonderful hill stations and summer resorts in India that are worth a visit.
A visit to these places would help in developing the tourism and economy of not only the local place but of the entire nation as well.
We had a wonderful summer vacation for a couple of days at this beautiful cool hill stations and we returned to our place with fully recharged.
This place is popularly known as the 'Scotland of India'. It is the headquarters of Coorg district in Karnataka. The moment you step down from the vehicle, you feel cool and will be enchanted at the beauty of the mist-clad hills, lush emerald green forests, vast stretch of coffee plantations and the breath-taking views.
Coorg coffee is equally tasty as that of Nilgiris coffee. The aroma that spreads from the steaming hot cup of coffee in cool mornings is irresistible for the coffee-lovers.
Location
Madikeri is located at an altitude of 1,170 m above mean sea level. It is at a distance of 252 Km from Bengaluru (capital city of Karnataka) and 120 Km from Mysore.How to reach
Bengaluru (Bangalore) is the nearest airport to Madikeri and from here you can conveniently travel to Madikeri in a private cab or in the route buses run by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC)Mysore is the nearest Railway Station and from here either you can take a private cab or travel in KSRTC buses. You can enjoy the bus ride on the twisting ghat roads.
Best time to visit
October to March is the best season to visit the hill-station. You can even visit the place in the mid-summer for a cool and pleasant summer vacation. However, if you want to enjoy the chill winter, you can even visit in this place winter.History
Since 1600 CE, the Lingayat Kings ruled over Coorg and established their capital at Madikeri where they built a mud-fort. |
| Courtesy: Google Images |
Culture
The natives of Coorg are known as Kodavas who are of a distinct origin and have a unique style of wearing costumes. The men wear ceremonial wrap-around attire called the Kupya and the women folk wear sari in a typical and distinctive style with the pleats at the back.Where to stay
As Madikeri is known as the 'Scotland of India', there are plenty of luxury as well as budget hotels to stay. Besides the hotels, you can even opt for a Home-stay where you can have a convenient and comfortable stay with a home atmosphere. Home-stays are actually a portion of a house let out to the tourists for a comfortable home-like stay at a reasonable rate. The house-owners will provide almost everything to you including bed, sofa, utensils for cooking etc. And this is what makes the place one of the best and ideal holiday resort.During our visit to this place in the month of May, we had a comfortable stay at the home-stay. The house owners were very friendly and made us feel at home.
Madikeri is a paradise for the nature-lovers, where you can see Mother Nature at her best particularly in the early morning. The place was cool and we were wakened by the sweet and melodious chirping of birds in the serene atmosphere. Our hearts were filled with joy on seeing the beautiful mist-clad mountains early when we went for a walk down the hill. We felt as if we were in a completely different world far far away from the maddening crowd. A morning walk in the ups and downs of the place, gives you a real refreshing feeling and recharges your body, mind and soul as well.
Attractions of Madikeri
There are good number of places to visit in and around Madikeri and the one worth mentioning is the famous Abbi Falls which is at a distance of around 10 Km from the place. You can enjoy a ride along the narrow roads with steep ups and downs, twists and turns through the green and dense foliage of the surrounding coffee plantation which spreads the aroma. On reaching the spot, you need to walk through the rocky path where you can have a breath-taking view of the Falls that cascades down. The falling water is forced down the mountain slope, splashing hard against the huge boulders with a gushing sound. There is a hanging bridge across the gorge where from you can have a wonderful view of the waterfalls.The local deity of the place is Omkareshwar which is a Shiva temple that was constructed in 1820 CE by King Vira Raja. Omkareshwara temple is blend of Gothic style of architecture with a traditional Islamic Dome and minarets in the corners of the temple. This unique temple structure is a perfect example of communal harmony.
The other attractions of the place include:
- Madikeri Fort - a 19th century fort.
- Nagarhole National Park
- Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills which is the origin of River Cauvery
- Bhagamandala Temple which is at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery, Sujyothi and Kannika
- Raja's seat - which needs a special mention
KSTDC is making all efforts to provide facilities to the tourists. All these make Madikeri a wonderful hill station which is a must-see tourist place. People from all parts of the country can visit this place which is easily reachable by bus. A visit to this lovely locale which is not so expensive not only gives you enjoyment and entertainment but also helps in recharging your mind, body and soul and makes you refresh. There are many such wonderful hill stations and summer resorts in India that are worth a visit.
A visit to these places would help in developing the tourism and economy of not only the local place but of the entire nation as well.
We had a wonderful summer vacation for a couple of days at this beautiful cool hill stations and we returned to our place with fully recharged.