Pushpagiri (mountain)

Pushpagiri (Kumara Parvatha), at 1,712 metres (5,617 ft), is the highest peak in Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It is located in the Somwarpet Taluk, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Somwarpet in the northern part of Kodagu district on the border between Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu district and hassan districts. It is 4th highest peak of Karnataka. The Sanskrit name of the mountain is Puṣpagiri while its Prakrit form is Puphagiri, which is mentioned in the Nagarjunakond Second Apsidal Temple inscription, although this may refer to a different mountain to the north of Cuddapah, in Andhra Pradesh.

Pushpagiri Mountains

The Pushpagiri or Subramanya Hills (also referred as Kumaraparvatha) is the second-highest peak of Kodagu, and fourth highest peak in Karnataka

About 36 kilometres (22 mi) from Somwarpet and 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from Kumaralli, it is located amid the jungle.

The Eastern entrance can be reached from Beedehalli via Heggademane temple and the Western entrance from Kukke Subramanya via Giri gadde. However, the entrance through Beedehalli is less strenuous.

The entrance from Kukke Subramanya is located 165 m above sea level. The nearest airport is in Mangalore at a distance of 106 kilometres (70 mi).Trekkers have to obtain permission from the Forest department which is located near Batra Mane, which is also a spot for overnight camping. This place is at a distance of 6 km from Kukke Subramanya.

Historical Value: It is believed that Lord Subramanya’s footmark is presented in the hilltop temple. You can see the stone mark still. Top of the hill there are two temples, one is for Lord Shiva and other one for Lord Shubramanya. It is believed that if any person has Sharpadosha it can be eliminated by visiting this temple.

Climatic conditions

The climate is generally cool and wet. The climate is that of a highland, with no extreme variations. It receives heavy rainfall between June to September. From October to December the area is covered in mist almost all the time.

• Rainfall: The rainfall in Coorg varies extensively, ranging from 3,500 mm (140 in) per year in the western Highlands and to under 1,000 mm (40 in) per year near the eastern plateau.
• Temperature: November to January are generally the coldest months, with the daytime maximum temperatures that ranges of an average of around 7° to 20 °C. April and May are normally the warmest months here, with temperatures of an average 29 °C. The temperatures in Mercara and Virajpet are generally a few degrees cooler than in Kushalnagar because of the hilly terrace.
• Visibility: This place often enjoys good visibility, although hill fog sometimes restricts the visibility.

Trekking at Pushpagiri