Weekend at Chikmagalur

Just got back from a weekend stay at Chikmagalur. It is a quaint little hill station in the Western Ghats about 275 km from Bangalore, making it an ideal weekend getaway from Bangalore. You can drive down to this hill station in about 4-5 hrs comfortably.

Legend has it that Chikmagalur was given away as dowry to the youngest daughter of the then King of Sakharayapatna. Chikmagalur literally means younger daughter’s village. It’s a beautiful, scenic drive, with monsoon rains in full swing, the forests, fields and plantations on either side of the road were absolutely lush green.

Chikmagalur is a coffee town with undulating hills lush with coffee plantations. Locals will tell you a story about how coffee came to be cultivated here. Babu Budan, a Muslim saint brought the coffee seeds in 1670 from Yemen and cultivated them here. And from thereon, the plantations just grew.

Mullayanagiri, Baba Budan peak, Kalhatti Falls are some of the interesting spots to visit while being there. Mullayanagiri boasts of being the tallest peak in Karnataka and has a small Shiva temple on the top.

We stayed in a resort called the Java Rain, about 9 km from the Chikmagalur town. It’s a beautifully done up resort, with Indonesian décor, with very hospitable and friendly staff, making it a very enjoyable stay.