Agumbe

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Agumbe
ಆಗುಂಬ

— village —

A fog-filled valley, view from sunset point

Agumbe

Location of Agumbe

in Karnataka and India

 13.5087°N 75.0959°E / 13.5087°N

Coordinates 75.0959°E / 13.5087; 75.0959Coordinates:

13.5087°N 75.0959°E / 13.5087°N 75.0959°E /
13.5087; 75.0959

Country India

State Karnataka

District(s) Shimoga district

Population 1,000

Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Area

• Elevation • 826 metres (2,710 ft)

Codes[show]
• Pincode • 577 411
• Telephone • +08181
• Vehicle • KA-14
Agumbe (Kannada: ಆಗುಂಬ) is a village located in the Shimoga district in the state of
Karnataka, India. Lying in the Thirthahalli taluk and the Malnad region, Agumbe is among the
places in India that receive very heavy rainfall earning it the sobriquet, "Cherrapunji of the
South".[1] It is also the home of the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the only permanent
rainforest research station in India.[2] The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker called
Agumbe the capital of King Cobra.[3] An area near Agumbe has been converted into a protected
area for Medicinal Plants to help in their conservation.
Since 2005, Naxalite activity has been observed near Agumbe and hence, a lot of Karnataka
State Police personnel have been deployed and checkposts created in all intersections. This
however has not hindered visitors from visiting the region to enjoy the natural beauty of Agumbe
and its surroundings.[citation needed]

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Attractions
○ 1.1 Waterfalls
• 2 Getting there
• 3 Rainfall
• 4 Biodiversity
• 5 Some of the Spectacular Agumbe Fauna
• 6 Agumbe Rainforest research station (ARRS)
• 7 Medicinal Plants Conservation Area
• 8 Malgudi Days
• 9 External links
• 10 Notes
[edit] Attractions
Sunset Point
Agumbe has a sunset point which receives lot of visitors. On a clear day, one can see the sun
setting over the Arabian Sea though the sea is at quite a distance from Agumbe. It's located on
the 14th hair pin bend on the mountain ride to Agumbe.
[edit] Waterfalls
Kunchikal Falls
Kunchikal Falls is the highest waterfall in India, and ranks 116th in the list of highest waterfalls
in the world.
[4]
Its total height is 1493 ft/455 mts. It is formed by the Varahi river.
Barkana Falls
Barkana Falls is the 10th highest waterfall in India with a height of 850 ft/259 mts. It is formed
by the Seeta River.
Onake Abbi Falls
This is another waterfall near Agumbe. In the Kannada language, "Onake" means a pounding
stick which is used to pound grains in villages.

View from top of Onake Abbi Falls

Jogigundi
This is a small water fall which is very near to Agumbe, it takes about 10 to 15 min to reach this
place.
Koodlu theertha falls
A beautiful waterfall just 20 km from Agumbe, includes a Trek of 3–4 km and you will reach the
most beautiful falls in the entire state.
Koodlu theertha Waterfalls
[edit] Getting there
Agumbe is near the town of Thirthahalli which lies on the National Highway NH-13. From the
state capital of Bangalore, Agumbe can be reached by taking NH-4 till Tumkur, then NH-206 till
Shimoga and then NH-13 to Thirthahalli (a total distance of about 380 km.). Udupi on the
Konkan Railway is the nearest railhead. The nearest airport is the Mangalore International
Airport.
It can also be reached from Bangalore via Hassan ~ Chikkamagalore ~ Balehonnur ~ Jaipura ~
Sringeri ~ Agumbe. As of today, this is the best route to reach Agumbe. In this route you will be
crossing the best possible hilly regions of the western ghats. And this being the shortest route.
If you are interested to cover another tourist destination , you can choose a route from Bangalore
via Hassan ~ Belur ~ Chikkamagaloor ~ Sringeri ~ Agumbe.
There are private buses plying from Mangalore to Shimoga via Udupi, Hebri and Agumbe at
regular intervals. The approximate time taken from Mangalore to reach Agumbe is three and half
hours.
[edit] Rainfall
Agumbe receives the second highest annual rainfall in India, next only to Cherrapunji (or the
nearby Mawsynram).[5] It receives a mean annual rainfall of 7,640 millimetres (301 in). The
absolute maximum rainfall recorded in Agumbe in a single month is 4,508 millimetres (177.5 in)
(in August 1946).[6]
[edit] Biodiversity
Being a part of Malnad and Western Ghats, Agumbe and its surroundings are rich in
biodiversity. It is adjacent to one of the last surviving lowland rainforests in the Someshwara
Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park.[2] Many new species of flora and fauna are
found in this region. Agumbe lends its name to the following species which were discovered
here:
• Selenops agumbensis: A spider of genus Selenops
• Tarenna agumbensis: A shrub
• Drosophila agumbensis: A species of small fly
• Irenopsis agumbensis: A fungus
• Hygroaster agumbensis: A fungus
• Dactylaria agumbensis: A fungus
Other species discovered around Agumbe include:
• Caudalejeunea pluriplicata: A liverwort plant.[7]
• Notothylas dissecta: A plant of type Hornwort earlier found only in Central America, was
discovered in Asia for the first time in Agumbe.[8]
• Cyclotoma alleni:A beetle discovered in Agumbe.[9]
[edit] Some of the Spectacular Agumbe Fauna
• King Cobra
• Lion-tailed macaque
• Cane Turtle
• Tiger
• Dhole
• Hornbills
• Sambhar
• Atlas moth
• Flying lizard
• Leopard
• Myriads of birds and amphibians
• Indian Gaur
[edit] Agumbe Rainforest research station (ARRS)
Main article: Agumbe Rainforest Research Station

King Cobras are found in the thick and moist forests of the Western Ghats in areas such as
Agumbe.
Agumbe is the location of the only permanent rainforest research station in India which was
established by the herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker.[2] Whitaker chose Agumbe as the location
for this station since this was the area where he spotted the King Cobra in the early 1970s.[3]
Financial help to build this station was provided by Whitaker’s mother, Doris Norden who willed
him money that helped him purchase 8 acres (32,000 m2) of land in Agumbe. The main goal of
the research station is to study and conserve the rainforests of South India, using King Cobra as
the flagship species. One of the main goals of this research is to help the state of Karnataka
establish the world’s first King Cobra Sanctuary.[2] Experts from various fields were invited to
aid in the research and understanding of the basic biology of the King Cobra which is an
endangered species.[2] For his efforts in setting up this station, Whitaker was awarded the United
Kingdom's top conservation prize — the Whitley Award in 2005.[2] Whitaker used the £30,000
cash prize that came with the award to set up cottages, buy basic scientific equipment, and a
vehicle. The research station is eco-friendly and is not connected to the state's electricity grid and
uses solar power and a micro hydel unit. Even the fencing around the station is of smooth wire so
that it does not hurt the deer and leopards passing by. The station consists of two cottages for
researchers and a refurbished farmhouse that serves as the hub. The station follows three-
pronged approach involving research, education and conservation. Regular visits to schools are
made and lecture demonstrations on snakes and conservation are given to students.