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The land of Coorg is carpeted with every
possible shade of green and adorned with
a gossamer stole of transparent white mist.
Coorg is more than a dream travel destination,
it is a dream come true. The topography
of Coorg ornamented with grassy downs, paddy
fields, sloping glades, waterfalls and deep
ravines spreads over more than 1,590 square
miles of beautiful terrain.
The entire region is at an average altitude
of 3000 to 5500 feet. The highest peak is
Thadiyanda Mol at 5729 feet. Kodagu is bordered
by Tulu speaking Dakshina Kannada to its
Northwest, Kannada speaking Hassan District
to the North and Mysore to the Northeast.
To the South and Southwest are the Malayalam
speaking Kannur and Kozhikode districts
of Kerala.
Peaks in Coorg
| Name |
Altitute
( Meters )
|
Tadiyandalmol
|
1750
|
| Pushpagiri |
1710
|
| Kotebetta |
1650
|
| Chomamale |
1610
|
| Devasibetta |
1610
|
| Brahmagiri |
1360
|
| Nishanimotte |
1270
|
| Madakanamotte |
1150
|
Source: Coorg Wildlife
Society.
The
monsoons arrive in a rush and drench Coorg
with its heavy rains during the months of
June to end September. The clouds cover
the entire region in a moist shroud which
clears once in a while to reveal lush greenery
like emeralds rising from the mountains.
This abundant rainfall has resulted in lush
forest growth that is typical of the Western
Ghats with its rain forest in this range
of mountains. The heavy rains are conducive
to paddy in the plains. But the glory of
Kodagu are the coffee plantations. The wet
slopes are also ideal for growing coffee
beans. Some of the best coffee estates in
South India, first established by the British,
are to be found in Kodagu. A drive through
the thoroughfare certainly will reward one
with natural scenic beauty of canopies of
trees and expansive scenery of the mountains.
It is also not unusual to see coffee plantations,
pregnant with red berries on either sides
of the road.
The beautiful landscape of Coorg is a combination
of shallow valleys, gentle slopes and intermingled
swamps. The trees are spread widely opening
up patches of grassland. Big timber trees
like rosewood, Mathi and teak dominate the
areas of the forests where the undergrowth
is dense and rainfall is high. The areas
of the forests that are drier provide a
home for the shorter trees like the Flame
of the Forest, bamboo, Indian Laburnum and
Dindalu.
The winding roads are tortuous and peppered
with potholes. The jagged edges where the
asphalt runs into the red soil, it appears
as if the dark forest clawed the edges of
the roadway as a way of marking its territory.
The villages of Coorg are somewhat resembling
of the English countryside. Each Coorg season
is a unique experience all on its own. The
morning air filled with mist provides a
mystical start to a beautiful day. At sunset,
Mother Nature splashes her canvas with spellbinding
hues of color highlighting a crimson sky.
The beauty does not pass with the sunset,
for the clear nights are full of twinkling
stars that each has a story of their own
to tell. The chilly winters, wet monsoons
and cool summers will leave anyone feeling
fulfilled and serene.
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