Perhaps
the best-known among Karnataka hill stations, Coorg enthralls tourists
with its breathtaking locales. Miles of luxuriant coffee plantations,
misty mountains and lush valleys make this scenic land a perfect getaway
for nature lovers. Despite playing host to a number of powerful empires
such as the Kadambas, Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara, the
Kodagu region preserved its ethnic cultural heritage. Kodagu remained a part of the Hoysala Empire from the 11th to the 14th century A.D. Thereafter the Vijayanagara kings and the Chengalvas ruled this tiny kingdom. After the rule of the Wodeyars of Kodagu from the 17th to the 19th century, the British took possession of Kodagu in 1834 by usurping the rein of Chikkaveerarajendra Wodeyar. Upon the reorganization of states in 1956, Kodagu became a district of Karnataka State.
Kodavas, the main ethnic group of Coorg, are a fierce warrior race. Some of India's most valiant and decorated Army officers are Kodavas. The most famous son of Kodagu is Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief (as a general) of the armed forces of free India. He was elevated to the honorary title of Field Marshal at the age of 83. In addition, General Kodendera. S. Thimmaiah, of the same clan as K.M. Cariappa, also became a commander in chief.
