Kudremukh Peak is 6,250 feet high, the hill is a short way up. On a clear day the coastline of the Arabian sea is visible to naked eye. There is a small waterfall at the highest point which is ice cold. In summer the peak is closed. There are 13 trekking routes with in the park.
Kurinajal is another hill which is almost the same height as Kudremukh as you can climb. En route the hill don't forget to visit the Hanuman Gundi and Sutanabbe Falls surrounded by dense hills and jungles. At the basin of the falls there is a small but deep pond, if you know swimming you can swim there. The whole area is within Kudremukh National Park so nobody ia allowed to stay overnight. The movement within the park is regulated by forest authorities, you can enter with only prior permission.
Tourist Attractions
Lakya Dam was built by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) over river Lakya a tributary of Bhadra river is located just outside the town. It is believed that the dam was built by KIOCL to dump the red slurry from its mines causing too much damage to the nature. The dam gets its name from the lac or red clay. Don't even get close to the water as it is supposed to be very dangerous. It is ideal for a evening walk across the dam. Go on Sunday to avoid crowds.
Radhakrishna Temple gives you a panoramic view of the whole place. It is also another place of interest.
Gangamoola hill is the source of the three main rivers namely Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi. It is located 10 Kms from Kudremukh town at Samse circle. It is also called Varaha Parvatha and home to evergreen shola rainforest. Goddess Bhagavathi shrine is located deep with in the forest in a cave and a 6 feet high image of Varaha is also found here. It is also designated as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
There are more than 107 species of birds in this range.
Things to do
There are 13 trekking trails in all in the Kudremukh National Park. Depending on how much time you have you can choose the trek. Kudremukh peak is the most popular of the leads, because of its magnificent view. You need prior permission from the forest authorities as the park is a restricted area. There are some long routes, which may take a couple of days and require camping equipment and provisions.
Around Kudremukh
Kalasa around 20 kms south east of Kudremukh on the banks of river Bhadra is a holy panchakshetra. Close to the town are five sacred ponds namely Rudra Teertha, Vasishtha Teertha, Amba Teertha, Varaha Teertha and Naga Teertha. In one of the Teerthas there is a large boulder called Madhwacharya Bande it is supposed to have been placed by Shri Madhwacharya founder of Dvaita school of philosophy.
Kalaseshwara Temple is a must visit dedicated to Girijamba. And also see the 800 year old Veera Narayanaswamy Temple.
Jamalabad Fort 50 Kms from Kudremukh town built by Tipu Sultan is a granite fort. It is named after his mother. The fort stands at a height of 1,788 feet is inaccessible except by a narrow path. At the base of the fort there is a horse track. It is said that those out of favour with Tipu were hurled down the track to meet a horrible death.
There is lot of engineering skills used in building this fort, this can be seen in the upper part of the hill. Watching the sunrise and sunset from here is really great.
Also check out Kudremukh National Park
Best Time to Visit: October to May soon after the monsoons when the forest is lush green.
How to Reach
- By Air The nearest airport is Mangalore, which is 130km away.
- By Rail The nearest railway station is Mangalore.
- By Road Kudremukh is connected by road to Kalasa - 20km, Karkala - 50km, Mudigere - 75km, Mangalore 130km, and Bangalore [^] 350km.
Where to Stay
You get good accommodation at Forest Rest houses inside the park. while you can also stay in hotels at Kalsa town.
Upasana Home Stay
Mavina Kombe, Samse - 577 124
Karnataka
Phone: +91-8263 249288/249488
Kudremukh Inspection Bungalow
Phone: (08263) - 354148
Hotel Chandan
Mahaveera Road
Kalasa, Mudigere Taluk
Chikmagalur – 577 124
Phone: (08263) - 274209,274291
Silent Valley Corporate Resorts
Thodlu Kalasa, Kudremukh Road,
Chikmagalur – 577 124
Phone: +91 (824) 2211672
Mobile: +91 90084-44436/ 90084-44437/ 90084-44438/ 90084-44439
Iron Ore Guest House
Kudremukh
District – Chikmangalur
Karnataka
Seethanadi Nature Camp
Kudremukh Wildlife Division
Seethanadi, Hebri Village
Karnataka
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