Kodagu is a district of Karnataka state in southern India. It is often called by the anglicised name of Coorg. It is bordered by Dakshina Kannada to the northwest, Hassan District to the north, Mysore District to the east, Kannur District of Kerala state to the southwest and Wayanad district of Kerala to the south. The district headquarters is Madikeri.

Kodagu was a kingdom rulled by the Hoysalas from the 11th to the 14th century A.D. and thereafter by the Vijayanagar kings and the Chengalvas. The Wodeyars of Kodagu ruled from the 17th to the 19th century. The British annexed Kodagu in 1834 after dethroning Chikkaveerarajendra Wodeyar. It was administered by Chief Commissioners till Independence and then in 1952, as a category 'C' state, had a representative in the Rajya Sabha. Upon the reorganisation of states in 1956, Kodagu became a district of Karnataka State.

Kodagu (Coorg), the thickly wooded grandeur on the Western Ghats, is the most beautiful hill station of Karnataka. It is the home of Kodava people. Madikeri (Mercara) is the headquarters of the district. Kodagu is situated at 4000ft above sea level. Madikeri is full of dense forests, plantations, orange groves and paddy fields. The rich heritage of the people of Kodagu, the land the culture and the abundant natural beauty beckons every visitor to conserve this tiny district.

Places of Interest

Talakaveri: The place where River Kaveri originates.

Iruppu Falls: This is a sacred spot in south Kodagu on the Brahmagiri range of hills. River Lakshmana-tirtha flows nearby. Legend says that Rama and Lakshmana passed this way while searching for Sita. Rama asked Lakshmana to fetch some drinking water for him. Lakshmana shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri hills and brought into being the river Lakshmanatirtha. The river descends into a cataract known as the Iruppu Falls. This place is said to possess the power to cleanse one's sins and is visited by thousands of devotees on Shivaratri day. There is temple dedicated to Rama, surrounded by paddy fields, from which point it is a climb up to the falls through natural forest.

Abbey Falls: Scenic waterfall.

Dubare: This is mainly an elephant-capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of the river Kaveri, on the Kushalnagar - Siddapur road. The wild elephants are tamed and trained with the help of other tamed elephants and local tribes (the Kurubas). The tamed elephants attend to various jobs during the day and in the evenings they come down to the river to bathe and to be scrubbed clean by their mahouts.

Nagarahole: A national park and wildlife resort.