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Kudremukh
Kudremukha - The Horse Face
Elevation	1,894 m (6,214 ft)
Translation	ಮುಳ್ಳಯ್ಯನಗಿರಿ (Kannada)
Location
Kudremukh Location of Kudremukh, Karnataka
Location	Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, India
Range	Western Ghats
Coordinates	13°07′46.24″N 75°16′06.79″E / 13.1295111°N 75.2685528°E / 13.1295111; 75.2685528Coordinates: 13°07′46.24″N 75°16′06.79″E / 13.1295111°N 75.2685528°E / 13.1295111; 75.2685528

Kudremukh (Kannada: ಕುದುರೆಮುಖ) also spelled Kuduremukha is a mountain range in Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small hill station town situated near the mountain, about 48 kilometers from Karkala and about 20 kilometers from Kalasa. The name Kuduremukha (as it is known by the natives) literally means 'horse-face' (in the local language Kannada) and refers to a particular picturesque view of a side of the mountain that resembles the same. It was also referred to as 'Samseparvata', historically since it was approached from Samse village.

The town of Kudremukh is primarily an iron ore mining town where the government run Public Sector Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) operated till the last decade. It is noted for its scenic beauty. Owing to the dense forests, sighting wildlife can be challenging, though the area is rich in wildlife. Nonetheless the drive through the forest ranges can be enchanting and exhilarating. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi are said to have their origin here. A shrine of goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image, 1.8 m within a cave are the main attractions.

The Tunga river and Bhadra river flow freely through the parklands. Kadambi waterfalls area definite point of interest for anyone who travels to the spot. The animals found there include the malabar civet, wild dogs, sloth bear and spotted deer.

Recently, it is declared a Tiger Reserve, as part of the Bhadra Tiger Sanctuary. It was declared by the honourable Union Environmental Minister, Mr.Jairam Ramesh.

Location[link]

The Kudremukh National Park (latitudinal range 13°01'00" to 13°29'17" N, longitudinal range 75°00'55' to 75°25'00" E) is the second largest declared Wildlife Protected Area (600.32 km²) of a tropical wet evergreen type of forest in the Western Ghats. Kudremukh National Park is located in Dakshina kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts of Karnataka states. The Western Ghats is one of the thirty four hot spots identified for bio-diversity conservation in the world. Kudremukh National Park comes under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund-USA.

Geography[link]

Panoramic View of mountains in the Kudremukh National Park

The southern and western sides of the park form the steep slope of the Western Ghat ridge line, with the altitude varying from 100 m - 1892 m (peak). The northern, central and the eastern portions of the park form a chain of rolling hills with a mosaic of natural grassland and shola forest. Kudremukh receives an average annual rainfall of 7000 mm, which has evolved forest types of mainly evergreen vegetation.

Driving through Kudremukh National Park http://www.weedioh.com/Video.aspx?VideoId=2486

History[link]

The Horse Faced Peak

The British Government declared Kudremukh region as a Reserved Forest in 1916, to stop rampant slash and burn cultivation practices from penetrating deeper into the Ghats. Well known environmentalist and Tiger expert Dr. Ullas Karanth, undertook a detailed and systematic survey of the distribution of the endangered Lion Tailed Macaque in Karnataka during 1983-84 with support from Government of Karnataka. He observed that suitable and extensive rainforest habitat for Lion-tailed Macaque existed in Kudremukh and that the tract probably harbored the largest contiguous population of lion tailed macaques in the Western Ghats outside the Malabar region. He further suggested that Lion Tailed Macaques could be effectively used as a 'flagship' species to conserve the entire biotic community in the region and prepared a conservation plan for survival of wild population of Lion Tailed Macaques in the region delineating the present national park area as a proposed nature reserve. Based on his report, the Karnataka State Wildlife Advisory Board suggested to the Government that Kudremukh National Park be created. Subsequently, the first notification of the Kudremukh National Park was issued. In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park based on the above suggestion.

Kudremukh National Park is spread partly over the thick hilly forests near the coastal plains on the western portion and the shola vegetation on the Western Ghats uplands, covering parts of 3 districts, viz., Chickmagalur, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. The Kudremukh peak by which the National Park derived its name, is the highest elevation at 1892 meters.

Kudremukh National Park is made of steep hills and valleys. The hills, which bear the brunt of the severe monsoon wind, preclude any tree growth as a result the landscape is covered with grass. The valleys which are tucked in, have reasonable protection from wind and a deep soil profile, as a result of which stunted evergreen forests exist creating an unique microclimate, rich with mosses, orchids, etc. The whole scenery of grassland interspersed with narrow strips of forests provide a fantastic vista for a trekker. The totally fresh air and the climb up and down, invigorates the body and soothes the soul. During the trek, one can view and study several wildlife species of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, insects, etc.

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] Kudremukh had a population of 8095. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Kudremukh has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 77%. In Kudremukh, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Ecology[link]

Shola Grasslands and forests in the Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, Karnataka.

A diverse assemblage of endangered large mammals is found in the park supporting three large mammal predator species Tiger, Leopard and Wild Dogs. The important Tiger prey base found within the Park is Gaur, Sambar, Wild Pig, Muntjac, Chevrotain, Bonnet Macaque, Common Langur and the Lion Tailed Macaque.

The wet climate and the tremendous water retentive capacity of the shola grasslands and forests has led to the formation of thousands of perennial streams in the region converging to form three major rivers of the region, Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi that form an important lifeline for the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Lobo house is an old abandoned house on top of Kuduremukha.

Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls[link]

Hanumanagundi Water falls.

Located 32 km (20 mi) from the Kalasa, the water fall has water falling onto Natural rock formations from a height of more than 100 feet (30 m). Getting into falls involves some trekking. The best time to visit this place is between October and May.

Trekking in Kudremukh[link]

There are about 13 trekking routes in Kudremukh ranging from easy to tough. The most know ones among them are:

1. Samse - Kudremukh - Samse. The duration fro this trek is around 4 days and 3 nights, covering a total distance of about 40 plus km.
2. Navoor - Hevala - Kudremukh - Navoor. The duration fro this trek is around 5 days and 4 nights, covering a total distance of about 60 plus km.
3. Navoor - Kudremukh - Samse. The duration fro this trek is around 5 days and 4 nights, covering a total distance of about 50 plus km.
4. Horanaadu - Sringeri. The duration fro this trek is around 3 days and 2 nights, covering a total distance of about 30 plus km.
5. Nature Camp in Kudremukh is one of the beautiful place to stay.

Threats[link]

Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) is a government run company which was mining iron ore from the Kudremukh hills. KIOCL conducted its operations on an area of 4,604.55 ha for over 20 years. Opposition to its activities built up over the years from environmentalists and wildlife conservationists who are concerned about the threat to the region's flora and fauna, and farmers who are affected by the pollution of the streams that originate in the mining area. KIOCL has been banned from operating in this beautiful Natural Reserve, according to Supreme court order.

The rainfall in Kuduremukh, which is perhaps one of the highest for any open cast mining operation in the world, greatly accentuates the impacts of siltation as claimed by environmentalists. The topographic and rainfall characteristics in combination with the open cast mining of low grade iron ore and other land-surface disturbances caused by the KIOCL operations resulted in very high sediment discharge, with over 60% of the total siltation in the Bhadra system being contributed by the mining area which forms less than six per cent of the catchment. With high quality practices adopted by KIOCL to mine, the flora and fauna remained intact, causing no adverse effects on the nature.

KIOCL used to send iron ore through pipes running through districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada and converted to pellets at their plant in Panambur.These pellets were exported to countries like China, Iran, Japan, etc. by ships.

Gallery[link]

• Kudremukh1.jpg

  Kudremukh Peak during fall

• Kudremukh2.jpg

  Image taken during the trek to Kudremukh peak on 1/5/07

• Kmukh.JPG

  Shola Forests of Kudremukh

• 

  from afar

• 

  from afar

• Kudremukh4.jpg

  the hills of Kuduremukha range during fall

• Kudremukh5.jpg

  view from top

• Kudremukh6.jpg

  the forest covered hill

• Kudremukh7.jpg

  view from top

• Kudremukh9.jpg

  view from top

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kudremukh

• Kudremukh Company
• Checklist of Amphibians reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Aquatic Insects reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Birds reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Butterflies reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Fishes reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Mammals reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Non-Woody Plants reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Checklist of Reptiles reported from Kudremukh National Park
• Kudremukh trek
• Kudremukh Trekking - An Unforgettable Adventure
• Bangalore to kudremukh
• Tryst With Kudremukh: A Travelogue
• Upasana Yoga Retreat Center

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