Kudremukh

Kudremukh, or Kuduremukha, is a mountain peak in Chikkamagalur District, in Karnataka. A small town named after this range is located close to the mountain, 48 km from Karkala and 20 km from Kalasa. It is situated at an elevation of 1894 m above sea level.

Kuduremukha, in Kannada, means \'horse-face\' and it refers to a scenic view of a mountain face that looks like the face of a horse. Traditionally, Kudremukh was also familiar as Samseparvata, because it was approached from Samse village.

The British administration declared the region as a Reserve Forest to preserve the Western Ghats from burning down forests and deforestation practices. Recently it was declared as a Tiger Reserve under the Bhadra Tiger Sanctuary.

The Kudremukh town is mainly an iron ore-mining town. The area is covered in thick shoal forests and natural grasslands. The animals found here include the Malabar civet, wild dogs, sloth bear and spotted deer among others. The drive through the forest ranges is scenic.

Three significant rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi have their origins here with the Tunga and Bhadra rivers running all the way through the parklands. An idol of goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image, 1.8 m inside a cave are the chief attractions. Kadambi waterfalls also draw a large number of people.

Situated 32 km from Kalasa, the water from Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls goes down onto natural rock formations from an altitude of more than 100 feet.  Reaching the falls involves some trekking. Presently there are about 13 trek routes in Kudremukh ranging from easy to difficult ones.

Kudremukh can be reached by flights, trains and buses. The nearest airport is at Mangalore, 130 km away and the nearest international airport is at Bangalore at a distance of around 350 km. The nearest railhead is Mangalore. Kudremukh can also be reached by KSRTC and private buses from Bangalore and other cities in the state.

The best time to visit Kudremukh is between October and May.