Talakaveri

Talakaveri (also spelled Talacauvery) is located on the slopes of Brahmagiri Hill in the Kodagu or Coorg district of Karnataka. It is situated at a height of 4200 feet, and offers some amazing views of the forests and valleys around. Talakaveri is also the birth place of River Cauvery. The origin of the river is a small spring, where water spurs out. A small tank is built around the origin, and is called Tirth Kundike or Brahma Kundike. A narrow path is left open from this Kunidke for the water to flow down onto a pond next to it. The water then flows underground, and the river becomes visible a few kilometers downhill.

Being the birth place of a holy river, Talakaveri has a huge religious significance. A temple is built around the place where the visitors can offer prayers directly near the Tirth Kundike. Pilgrims also believe that a dip in the holy pond makes a wish come true! And the tradition of the temple says that once the wish comes true, you should re-visit the temple and offer a prayer/holy dip as a “Thank You” gesture.

Talakaveri, Talacauvery, Kodagu, Coorg, Karnataka

Talakaveri

Next to the Tirth Kundike, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga at this temple is believed to be installed by Sage Agasthya. A legend at Talakaveri links the sage with Lord Shiva and River Cauvery. Another legend says that Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva appeared before Sage Agasthya near holy Ashwatha tree (Peepal Tree).

Every year, during the third week of October (usually 17th or 18th), you can witness a sudden upsurge of water and overfills the tank. This is considered an auspicious occasion, and huge number of pilgrims visit Talakaveri during this time every year to witness the fountainhead! This auspicious festival is called Tula Sankramana.

Visitor Alert: The temple administration mandates all visitors to wear proper attire before entering the temple. Sleeveless shirts/tops, and shorts are not allowed (for both men and women). The administration provides temporary clothing for a nominal price in case if you end up at the temple but do not have an alternate attire to switch to. You need to take the temporary clothing even if you want to visit only Brahmagiri Hill but not the temple (as you have to go through the temple premises to take the stairs that lead to the hill). Please do respect the sentiments of the locals and follow the recommendations.

Brahmagiri Hill

A series of stairs behind the temple will lead you to the top of Brahmagiri Hill. The stairs are very steep, but you can observe that people of all ages get to the top of the hills without issues. The views from the top of the hill are amazing. You can get a glance of the thick Western Ghats from the top of the hill and is definitely worth the steep climb up the stairs. On a clear day, the locals say that you can even get a glimpse of Arabian Sea (which is about 100 km by road from here).

Brahmagiri Hill, Talacauvery, Karnataka

View of Western Ghats from Brahmagiri Hill

Brahmagiri Hill, Talacauvery, Karnataka

View from Talakaveri

Bhagamandala

The dwindling road from Madikeri to Talakaveri passes through lush greenery across few hills and valleys. The road passes through a small town of Bhagamandala, from where the road attains steep bends for the next 7 km and the road ends at Talakaveri. The route from Bhagamandala to Talakaveri is very scenic. After you drive for about 3-4 kms, you can see the town of Bhagamandala lying amidst the Western Ghats.

Bhagamandala, Talacauvery, Karnataka

Western Ghats (As seen from a view point between Bhagamandala and Talakavery)

Bhagamandala is the place where River Cauvery meets two of its tributaries (River Sujyothi and River Kannike) at Triveni Sangam. River Sujyothi is supposed to be an underground river, and joins the Kannike and Cauvery exactly at their confluence. The locals claim that the place where River Sujyothi joins, one can observe some bubbles on the surface of the water. It is believed that River Sujyothi gets the water from Harangi Dam which is situated close-by.

Triveni Sangam, Bhagamandala, Talacauvery, Karnataka

Triveni Sangam at Bhagamandala

Location

Where to stay?

  • Madikeri / Mercara
  • Virajpet

Distance Chart

From Distance (in km)
Madikeri 45
Mangalore 140
Mysore 160
Calicut 205
Bangalore 300