Coorg is an administrative district in the southern part of India, in the state of Karnataka. It is also known by the name of Kodagu and covers an area of 4,102 sq km in the region of the Western Ghats.

In the north western part of the border lies Dakshina Kannada, in the northern part is Hassan district, in the eastern part is Mysore and Kannur district of Kerala is located on the south western border. The headquarters of Coorg district is Madikeri.

The northern part of Coorg district was under the province of the Kadambas from the 2nd century to the 6th century. However, after the war between the Kadambas and the Gangas in the 11th century, the Cholas were the sole ruler of this province. After the 12th century, the Hoysalas who were ruling Hassan district defeated the Cholas and from the 14th century onwards, the Vijayanagara Kings were the supreme rulers of this province.

After their downfall, the local Nayaks took over different parts of the province. The war between the different rulers of the province and the Haleri Kings made the latter the new rulers of the province from the year 1600 to 1834, and from that time, the region of Coorg was under the British rule.

Coorg was declared as an independent state in the year 1950 by the Indian Constitution and the states were reorganised in the year 1956, in which Coorg was merged with the state of Karnataka and was declared as a district. Coorg has three Taluks by the names of Madikeri, Somavarapete and Veerajapete, while Madikeri is also the headquarters.

Some of the popular festivals celebrated here are the festival of Arms-Keilpoldu in the month of June. In this ancient festival, weapons are polished and worshipped before using them again. The festival celebrated around the River Cauvery is known as Cauvery Shankaramana. In the months of November and December, the harvest festival ‘Puthar' is celebrated along with folk songs and dances.

Some of the popular places in Coorg include Kakkabe, which is also the largest producer of honey in the south eastern part of Asia. One of the main religious places here is the ancient Omkareshwara Temple. Nagarhole National Park is another popular tourist attraction and consists of several wild animals like elephants, panthers and rhinos.

With an economy based on agriculture, plantations and forestry, Coorg is counted among the most prosperous districts of Karnataka. Known as the ‘Coffee Bowl of India', Coorg contributes 30% of the total coffee produced in India.

Besides coffee, pepper, cardamom and oranges are the other mainstays of Coorg's economy. Set amidst verdant valleys, misty hills and acres of coffee plantations, Coorg is considered as a perfect holiday gateway in India.The best time to visit Coorg is from the month of September to March because of the pleasant climate.