Dandeli

Dandeli is a small town situated in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is located amidst lush green forest ranges of the Western Ghats along the banks of River Kali. Dandeli is famous for its adventure and eco-tourism.

History of Dandeli

As per ancient texts, Dandeli is the mythical “Dandakaranya” mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. The name ‘Dandakaranya’ was derived from the word ‘Dandvalli’ (green bamboo).  Dandeli lies at a varying altitude of 100m to 970m and is intersected by river Kali and a large number of streams. Dandeli is a popular destination as it rears rare species of flora and fauna, which are typical of Western Ghats.

People & Culture in Dandeli

The town of Dandeli is an emerging educational and industrial hub in the South. It is also termed as ‘Mini-India’ as majority of the inhabitants here are migrants from across India, who have settled here for employment. Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam are the commonly used languages at Dandeli.

This place consists of Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the second largest sanctuary in Karnataka. Set in the heart of dense deciduous forests of the Western Ghats, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is home to about 200 varieties of avian species. Spread along a sprawling area of 834. 16 sq km, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve, in the year 2006. Dandeli also holds the designation of being a Hornbill reserve and Crocodile reserve.

Dandeli tourism offers a wide array of activities that range from jungle safari, trekking, white water rafting, canoeing, ab-sailing, rappelling, fishing, boating, swimming, bird watching and coracle rides. Tourists can opt for Dandeli packages that covers all of these activities. There are also many sightseeing attractions in and around Dandeli like Naghjari view point, Ulavi, Syntheri rocks, Maulangi, Kulgi nature camp, Supa dam, Supa catchment area, Ganeshgudi, Shanmukha view point, Vincholli falls, Magod falls etc.

Travelling to Dandeli

Dandeli is located at a distance of 125 km from Goa and 480 km from Bangalore and is easily accessible as it is well connected by road with all the major destinations within the state of Karnataka. Its proximity to Goa, Belgaum, Karwar, Dharwad and Hubli makes Dandeli a favourite destination of holiday makers.

The nearest airport to reach Dandeli is at Belgaum, almost 90 km away. Bangalore has the nearest international airport at a distance of over 450 km. From the Belgaum airport, taxis and buses are available to Dandeli. The nearest rail station to Dandeli is Alnavar Junction, 35 km away, which has connections to Belgaum, Bangalore and Hubli.

The best time to visit Dandeli is from October to May. Summers are warm with the temperature going just over 30⁰ Celsius while winters have an average temperature of 25⁰ Celsius. Since Dandeli is a popular spot for white water rafting, a lot of adventure lovers visit the region during December to May, when it is ideal for the sport. Bird watchers can visit the destination in October and November.