Kudremukh National Park

The Kudremukh National Park of Karnataka is located about 130 kilometers from Mangalore and situated 95 Kms southwest of Chickmagalur town. The Kudremukh National Park is encircled by the Kudremukh or the horse face range which overlooks the Arabian sea. The Kudremukh National Park of Karnataka comprises of a number of deep ravines as well as steep cliffs and is an ideal hub of animals and birds. The Kudremukh National Park occupies an area of 600.32 square kilometers and lies about 1,894.3 meters above sea level. The landscape around the Kudremukh National Park is very beautiful.

Wildlife: Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Jackal, Lion Tailed Macaque, Common Langur, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Giant Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Mongoose, Malabar Trogon, Great Pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Imperial Pigeon, Snakes, Tortoises.

Adventure: Bird safari, Jungle safari, Trekking.

October to May

Kudremukh National Park, Horanadu, Hanuman Gundi Falls, Gangamoola, Kudremukh Peak, Lakya Dam

Gangamoola:

Gangamoola, or Varaha Parvatha, a mount with a height of 1458 m above sea level within the border of National Park close to Kudremukh, is acclaimed as the source of three rivers Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi originating from Western Ghats. It has the distinction of being a part of UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.

A cave, which is inaccessible during the rainy monsoon seasons, enclosing a 6 feet image of Varaha and the temple of Goddess Bhagavathi are the main attractions here.

The hill is densely populated with forest trees and has a good annual rainfall in its account. The hillock is very rich in minerals, with significant magnetite-quartzite deposits, yielding iron ore.

This is the habitat of many rare species of birds. There are more than 107 species of birds in this range.

Hanuman Gundi Falls:

One of the main attractions close to Kudremukh is Hanuman Gundi waterfalls. The waterfalls, slashing down from a height of more than 100 feet falling onto natural rocks majestically, is an exciting scenery.

One can trek for some distance to get into the falls and to have body rejuvenating and refreshing bath. The forest department has constructed some nice and safe steps to get down into the falls for a nominal Rs 30/- per head. A calm and isolated destination, here one can enjoy the beauty of silence and marvel of the waterfalls.

Horanadu:

Horanadu is a holy city, laid in the middle of charming natural scenarios, for Hindus residing near Kudremukh. This place holds a beautiful temple Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shri Annapoorneshwari, a historical temple of Annapoorneshwari installed in 1973. The shrine renovated with a new idol of Adi Shakthi installed recently, is the main attraction in Horanadu. The place is attracted by plenty of pilgrims who are provided free boarding and lodging by the temple.

The main deity of Annapoorneshwari is made out of pure gold, looking imposing and amazing. The legend and folk stories tell that a person who seeks the blessings of Annapoorneshwari would never be having any shortage for food in life. Any devotee who visits here will leave the temple with a sense of fulfillment. Horandu is a place recommended for visiting.

Kalasa:

Kalasa, meaning a water pot, is the abode of the Kalaseshwara Temple of Lord Shiva and is a holy temple-town and a tourist spot located near Kudremukh on the banks of river Bhadra. Local mythology points the origin of Kalasa connected to the wedding ceremony of Shiva and Parvathy. It is believed that visiting Kalasa bring punya, a greater religious merit. The Girija Kalyana, commemorating the marriage of Shiva and Parvathi, is an important festival here attracting many tourists.

Kalasa, an agricultural land, depends on Bhadra river for its water needs. It is famous for the agriculture products such as coffee, varieties of Ayurvedic herbals and plants and spices. Located in the midst of the heart of the Western Ghats, Kalasa has nearly a pretty pleasant climate in all the seasons. Kalasa attracts many tourists with private resorts and five major water spots, known as pancha theerthas. This is a nice place to spend some time to get the religious blessings as well as natural enjoyment.

Kudremukh National Park:

Placed under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, the Kudremukh National Park in the Western Ghats, area of about 600 square meter of a tropical evergreen wet forest, is the main attraction. It is declared as Wildlife Protected Area. Kudremukh National Park is placed under the format proposed jointly by World Wide Fund-USA and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Kudremukh National Park is developed based on the report of the noted environmentalist Dr Ullas Karanth. It was in 1987, this national park was formed in the Reserved Forests in Kudremukh. Endangered mammals and rare species are protected here in this park, includes the three large predator species - Wild dogs, Leopard and Tigers. This is the natural habitat of many other wild animals such as Common Languar, Wild Pig, sambar and Lion tailed Macaque.

The national park is dwelling to many natural attractions, which can be visited with a special permission available at the National Park.

Kudremukh Peak:

Kudremukh peak, located as high as 1894 m above the sea level with forests covering the peak, is a perfect place for forest exploration. Kudremukh is trekker's paradise with the luxury of its flora and fauna in the offing to be explored. This peak, a well-known spot for the navigators, overlooks the Arabian sea showing the distant zenith as a beautifully crafted spot.

The hills are broad and connected to each other like a chain, with deep plains and valleys and are enchanting with natural splendour and beauty. Largest population of lion tailed Macaques is in this forest, a natural habitat of these Macaques, and is worth visiting to spot one of them.

Lakya Dam:

A check dam across the Lakya, the tributary of Bhadra river, built by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company is the so called Lakya Dam having a height of 100 m. The main utility of this dam is to collect the waste materials from the mining operations and since it is a dam of silt not water.

The dam is at the backdrop of picturesque hilly terrains, shoal forests and calmly flowing rivers. It is argued that the Lakya dam has already made the submergence of 572 hectares of shola forests and raising the heights or constructing a new dam will submerge more areas. The dam and the surroundings are scenic and lots of tourists are attracted towards it.

Kudremukh is well connected by road to Chikmagalur, Mangalore and Sringeri. The State Highway-66 passes through the park. The distance to the park by road from the various places are Kalasa (20 kms), Karkala (50 kms), Mudigere (75 kms), Mangalore (130 kms) and from Bangalore 350 kms. The park is approachable from Bangalore via Chikmagalur, Hassan or from Mangalore via Karkala.

There are number of forest rest houses inside the park. They include Samse, Kudremukh (on the Mudigere-Kudremukh State highway in the heart of the park), Kerekatte (located along Sringeri-Mangalore National highway), Navoor rest house near Belthangadi (20 km) etc. The rest houses also are starting points for treks. There are also privately owned luxury resorts.

Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Jackal, Lion Tailed Macaque, Common Langur, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Giant Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Mongoose, Malabar Trogon, Great Pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Imperial Pigeon, Snakes, Tortoises, India