Now a flourishing agricultural center, Kodagu produces cash crops of coffee, rice, orange, pepper and cardamoms.

THE PAST

Little is known about the early history of this fertile land. >From ad 1600 onwards, the Lingayat rajas ruled over Coorg and established their capital at Madikeri where they built a mud fort. The Kodavas, as the people of Coorg are called, harried the Mysore ruler Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan through sporadic rebellions. Finally, in ad 1785, Tipu marched into Coorg with a large army and devastated their little kingdom. Four years later, with the help of the British, Coorg regained its independence and Raja Veerarajendra set about the task of reconstruction. In ad 1834, the British took over power in Coorg. They impeached the last ruler Chikkaveera Rajendra and sent him into exile.

THE LANDSCAPE

In March and April it’s coffee blossom time in Coorg. Stretches of these now-white flowers waft a heady fragrance and their massed magnificence is an unforgettable sight. When the blossoms turn into berries, the bushes are cropped. The cherry-red fruit is then pulped, the separate coffee seeds dried and sent to the curing works.

Coffee bushes are sheltered from the sun’s direct rays by tall sentinel-like trees over which the dark green pepper vines trail. Pepper and cardamoms from Coorg were much sought after by Arab traders who landed in the Kerala coast long before the advent of Islam in India.

PLACES TO VISIT

Coorg is a region of scattered villages and hamlets, with a few townships standing out. Postcard pretty with their red tiled cottages and purple flowering shrubs, the Kodagu towns have an old-world charm about them. Madikeri, the district headquarters at an elevation of over 5,000 feet above sea level, provides access to some excellent picnic spots including the picturesque Abbey Falls. Visitors can trek to the top of Tadeyendamol, the highest peak in the region and view the Arabian Sea in the distance. Alternatively, one may simply follow the mountain trails dotted with little shrines—some beside waterfalls and others on the banks of rivers. Besides, the Nagarhole National Park provides excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing.