Chikkamagaluru District, Karnataka

Chikkamagaluru (ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು), historically celebrated as the Coffee Land of Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕಾಫಿ ನಾಡು), is an enchanting mountainous district situated along the crest of the Western Ghats (Sahyadris). Its name literally translates to 'Town of the Younger Daughter' (ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಮಗಳ ಊರು), gifted according to folklore by the legendary 9th-century chieftain Rukmangada to his younger daughter.

Covering an area of 7,201 square kilometres, Chikkamagaluru recorded a population of 1,137,961 in the 2011 Census of India. The district is crowned by Mullayanagiri, which rises 1,930 metres above sea level as the highest mountain peak in Karnataka, offering spellbinding vistas of rolling shola grasslands and mist-swathed evergreen forests.

Chikkamagaluru holds an immortal place in agricultural history as the cradle of Indian coffee cultivation, where Sufi saint Baba Budan first planted seven sacred coffee beans in the 17th century. The district also houses the ancient spiritual seat of Sringeri Sharada Peetham, established by Adi Shankaracharya. Explore the taluks, Gram Panchayats, and villages below to discover comprehensive civic data.

Chikkamagaluru's history is ancient and venerable. In the 8th century CE, the revered philosopher-reformer Sri Adi Shankaracharya founded the Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetham on the peaceful banks of the Tunga River, establishing the foremost monastic center of Advaita Vedanta philosophy in South India.

In the 11th century, the Hoysala dynasty originated in the hill hamlet of Angadi in Mudigere taluk, where the legendary chieftain Sala fought and slew a tiger, giving rise to the famous Hoysala royal emblem.

Around 1670 CE, the revered Sufi mystic Hazrat Shah Jamal-ud-Din Maghribi (popularly known as Baba Budan) brought seven raw coffee beans from the port of Mocha in Yemen tucked in his girdle and planted them on the slopes of the Chandradrona hill range (now Baba Budangiri), inaugurating the history of coffee in the Indian subcontinent. Chikkamagaluru later flourished under the Nayakas of Keladi and the Wodeyars of Mysore.

Chikkamagaluru occupies the rugged western spine of Karnataka, bordered by Shivamogga to the north, Davanagere and Chitradurga to the northeast, Tumakuru and Hassan to the east, and Dakshina Kannada and Udupi to the west. The western sectors form the crest of the Western Ghats, featuring high mountain peaks and deep wooded river valleys.

The district is the birthplace of Karnataka's sacred perennial rivers: the Tunga and Bhadra rivers originate at Gangamoola in Kudremukh, while the Hemavathi and Netravati also draw their initial tributaries from these pristine mountain catchments.

The administrative machinery of Chikkamagaluru district is organized into several revenue taluks, each administered by a Tahsildar under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate. Local rural governance is delivered through three tiers of Panchayati Raj institutions: the Zilla Panchayat at the district level, Taluk Panchayats, and Gram Panchayats serving rural village clusters.

Explore the interactive taluk cards and accordion directory below to discover verified counts of Gram Panchayats, inhabited hamlets, and canonical revenue villages registered in the national Local Government Directory (LGD).

Chikkamagaluru's economy is strongly anchored by premium plantation agriculture, coffee curing, spice trade, and nature-based eco-tourism. The district produces nearly twenty percent of India's total coffee output, hosting leading coffee curing works and the prestigious Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) at Balehonnur.

The expanding homestay and plantation resort industry provides vital non-farm employment. Iron ore deposits in the Kudremukh ridge were historically mined before transitioning into the Kudremukh National Park.

Plantation crops form the lifeblood of Chikkamagaluru's agrarian landscape. High-altitude estates cultivate shade-grown Arabica and Robusta Coffee, intercropped with aromatic black pepper vines, cardamom, and vanilla.

In lower valleys, farmers cultivate prolific tracts of arecanut, tea, paddy, ginger, and rubber. The cool mountain microclimate produces some of the world's most sought-after single-estate specialty coffees.

Chikkamagaluru features the Chikkamagaluru Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology (AIT), and historic Sanskrit research colleges in Sringeri. Excellent residential schools and public institutions serve students across all mountain taluks.

The KarnatakaInfo.com database holds 1,921 school records for Chikkamagaluru district (UDISE+). This dataset covers schools only; colleges and universities appear in the text above where verified.

• Primary with Upper Primary766
• Primary660
• Secondary Only193
• Pr. Up Pr. and Secondary Only120
• Higher Secondary only/Jr. College87
• Upper Pr. and Secondary41
• Secondary with Higher Secondary27
• Pr. with Up.Pr. Sec. and H.Sec.20
• Up. Pr. Secondary and Higher Sec5
• Upper Primary only2

School listings are available on each village and taluk page.

Chikkamagaluru Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) operates the 400-bed District Teaching Hospital in Chikkamagaluru, delivering emergency trauma surgery, maternal care, and specialized medical clinics, supported by taluk hospitals at Sringeri, Mudigere, and Tarikere.

The database records 473 public health facilities in Chikkamagaluru district. This is the dataset available on KarnatakaInfo.com and should not be read as a complete list of all hospitals.

• Immunisation Facility267
• PHC199
• CHC7

Chikkamagaluru offers a remarkable variety of historical, cultural, and natural tourism destinations, spanning ancient stone temples, fortresses, scenic river ghats, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Visitors explore diverse heritage circuits across the district that showcase Karnataka's architectural excellence and natural splendour.

Chikkamagaluru's cultural ethos is steeped in Malnad hospitality, coffee plantation traditions, and profound spiritual heritage. The Sringeri Navaratri celebrations and Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Jathra draw devotees from across the nation.

Folk theatrical traditions like Yakshagana and traditional Malnad harvest rituals reflect harmonious living with nature.

The regional gastronomy is famous for aromatic Malnad Filter Coffee brewed from freshly roasted estate beans, paired with authentic delicacies like Akki Rotti with bamboo shoot curry (Kalale Palya), Halasina Kadubu (jackfruit dumplings), and spicy Koli Saaru.

Appemidi tender mango pickles and wild honey are prized Malnad specialties.

Chikkamagaluru holds extraordinary biological wealth within the Kudremukh National Park and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, home to endangered tigers, lion-tailed macaques, and hornbills.

Perennial headwaters of the Tunga, Bhadra, and Hemavathi rivers provide vital drinking water and irrigation reservoirs for Karnataka.

Chikkamagaluru is connected by National Highway 173 (connecting to Mangaluru port) and NH 206 passing nearby. Chikkamagaluru Railway Station connects via Kadur Junction to Bengaluru and Hubballi.

The nearest international airport is Mangaluru International Airport (IXE), located 150 km across the scenic Charmadi Ghat.

KarnatakaInfo.com brings together the administrative hierarchy of Chikkamagaluru district: its taluks, Gram Panchayat counts and revenue villages. Each taluk has a village directory, and each village has a profile with Census population and literacy figures where available, land-use data, nearby schools, healthcare facilities, post offices, nearby tourist attractions and distances to the nearest bus and railway stations.