In the South western section of Karnataka lies the Western Ghats and on that lies the little hill station of Coorg originally known as Kodagu, after the tribe that occupied the region. The name, later on, got anglicized to Coorg. This hill station is famous for its majestic natural beauty that transcends the general concept of scenic splendor. Kodagu is best known for the world class tea this region produces which is one of the best of its kind in India. The region of Coorg is bounded by the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kannur, Mysore and Wayanad which is a district of Kerala. The capital of Coorg is Madikeri and the local language spoken here is still the original tribal language of Kodava. But besides Kodava, the native language of Karnataka, Kannada, is also spoken. Although Kodagu does not have a script, German linguist Gregg M. Cox recently developed a writing pattern he named Coorgi-Cox alphabet which is presently being used by a few people residing in the place.
The population of Coorg mostly consists of people belonging to the Kodagu tribe but also include a comparatively less number of people belonging to other groups and communities too such as Kodagu Gowda and Muslims. Minor tribes in the region include Airi, Meda, Male-Kudiya, Maringi, Kapal, Kembatti, Heggade, Kolla, Kavadi, Kurubas, Koyava and more. Cultivation of rice is what contributes to the majority of the income of the region while coffee plantation contributes substantially. People belonging to this region worship many deities, some of which are Bhagwathi, Mahadeva, Bhadrakali, Subramani, Ayyappa and Iggutappa. Other varieties of occupations include being artisans, drummers, wandering musicians, basket and toddy-makers.
South India has many attractive hill stations such as Ooty, Munnar etc. But Coorg has a kind of beauty distinct from the other hill stations; the blissfulness of its atmosphere is incomparable. This town attracts many tourists from around the globe. Also, people from other parts of the country visit the town during the summer months, when other parts of the country experience extreme amounts of heat.
Madikeri, which is the capital of this town, is connected with neighboring regions of Hassan, Mysore, Bangalore, Kannur, Wayanad and Mangalore via road. It is possible for one to reach Kodagu from coastal Kerala and Karnataka regions by taking the following three Ghat- Sampaje–Madikeri Ghat road, Panathur–Bhagamandala Ghat road and Makutta–Perumbadi/Virajpet Ghat road. Thalassery and Kannur of Kerala and Mangalore, Mysore and Hassan of Karnataka have the nearest railway stations. Although Coorg does not have an airport of its own, the ones located in Mysore and Mangalore are situated nearby. New Mangalore port at Panambur in Mangalore is the nearest seaport from the spectacular Coorg.
