Kodachadri Hills

Recently , the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has asked the Karnataka government to find out if the improvement of the road leading to Kodachadri Hills can be retained to the existing width of 3.5 metre instead of the proposed 7 metre in order to avoid cutting down trees. Actually , this hill area is the part of world heritage site as well as biodiversity of india.

It is mention worthy here that the proposal, floated by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), was aimed at boosting tourism with the improvement of the mud road to a concrete road from Kattinahole to Kodachadri Hill top and Chakra Forest.

The proposed road would cut through Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary for which diversion of 5.5 hectare fresh forest land and 0.067 hectare non-forest land was sought.

The Kodachadri hill is a Natural Heritage Site, which is part of the Western Ghats and forms a lovely backdrop to the famous Kollur Mookambika Temple.

This hill range is part of the Mookambika Temple Nature Reserve.

Kodachadri hills has a dense forest area at an area of about 1343 meters from the sea level.

With its dense tropical and subtropical forests and pristine landscape, a trek to Kodachadri hills feels like being in the lap of nature.

On the peak, there is a small stone temple called 'Sarvajna Peetha', the spot where philosopher Adi Shankaracharya had meditated in the early ninth century. Legend has it that Goddess Saraswathi was pleased with his meditation and appeared before him.