About Harangi Dam
Harangi Dam is an interesting place to visit for those who need some seclusion from the crowd and want to spend more time with nature. This dam is located in Hudgur village near Kushalnagar and is built across the River Cauvery. Harangi Dam is located at a distance of approximately 36 km from Madikeri. Agriculture is the main occupation in this part of the country, so to meet the water demand for irrigation this dam was built.
Harangi Dam is the first dam to be built across the River Cauvery and formed by masonry-dam built across the river Harangi, a tributary to Cauvery. This reservoir has a height of 47 metres and a length of 846 metres with the capacity of 8.50 TMC feet.
Harangi Dam is one of the most popular visiting places for its seclusion and bedazzling natural beauty. It is one of the most famous picnic spots in coorg for its natural relaxed and soothing atmosphere. Besides, another attraction of this place is the architectural pattern of the reservoir. Apart from the dam you can also go further and visit other places that have their own breathtaking beauty in natural setting.
Overview
Location: This dam is located near Hudgur Village in Somwarpet Taluk of Karnataka district, while it’s only 9 km away from Kushalnagar town.
Entry Fee: You have to buy tickets to explore the Harangi Dam. The entry fees per person is as follows:-
Rs. 10 per person for adults
Rs. 5 per person for children
Rs. 10 for parking your vehicles.
Timings: One can visit the Harangi dam every day from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Best Time to visit: The best time to visit Harangi Dam is between August to September. Monsoon generally hits this place between the said period, the reservoir is at its full in monsoon. Monsoon has a different type of breathtaking beauty apart from the other parts of Karnataka.
Average Temperature: The pleasant and moderate climate of this area attracts tourists all-round the year. The average maximum temperature that has been recorded is 15-degree Celsius. Whereas in winters, the climate is extremely cold around 3-degree Celsius as minimum recorded temperature.
Distance from Coorg: The distance from Coorg to Harangi Dam is 32.6 km via SH 91. It generally takes 1 hour of driving to reach the destination.
How to Reach Harangi Dam
By Rail: No railway connectivity. You have to reach Coorg and from there you can travel by bus or cab as per your convenience.
By Road: The distance between Coorg and Harangi dam is 33.0 km via NH 275. The popular mode of transport is bus or cab. Walking is not allowed on this road.
By Bus: The distance from Coorg to Harangi Dam is just 33.0 km via NH 275 and it generally takes 45 minutes to reach. This road has several toll-booths. Buses take the route of Guddemane Appaiah Gowda Road to NH 275 in Stuart Hill.
Then buses turn left at China Gate Junction and pass by Treebo Trend Brindavan. After that buses finally reach the destination. The beauty of this road is also another attraction for nature admirers to commute to Harangi Dam by bus.
History of Harangi Dam
As agriculture is one of the most important occupations in this part of India so the supply of enough water is needed. To meet the demand of water for irrigation purpose the Harangi Dam was built. Its construction started in 1970. It is operated by Karnataka Irrigation Department.
The dam stands at a distance of 36 km from Coorg. It has a total capacity of 8.50 TMC Feet and catchment of 419 sq.km. The huge rainfall from south-west monsoon is the source of the water for the catchment of this dam. The reservoir gets full during monsoon. It is being emptied between December to May.
Places to Visit near Harangi Dam
- Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple: It is one of the most popular spots to visit from Harangi Dam. The distance from Harangi dam to this place is just 9.4 km. This is the second-largest monastery in India. This place is a traditional and religious place to visit from Harangi Dam.
- Dubare Elephant Camp: This place is one of the reserve forests in India located in Coorg. The distance from Harangi Dam to This place is just 13.5 km. The place mainly attracts jungle and nature lovers. It provides many attractions to visitors like river rafting, jungle safari, boat ride, and many others. This place has several timing and guidelines for visitors.
- Chiklihole Reservoir: This place is not as popular as the other places in Coorg. It is also built across one of the tributaries of the river Cauvery. To enter this reservoir, one has to buy tickets. The timing to visit the place is between 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on all days.
Things to do in and near Harangi Dam
- Bird Watching in Coorg: Coorg is known as Scotland of India, it is the main attraction for birdwatchers to visit Coorg. There are four areas which are known to be the paradise for bird watchers namely Bramhigiri, Pushpagiri, Talakavari Wildlife Santuaries, and Nagarhole National Park.
- Trekking in Brahmagiri: Bramhigiri is a well-known place for hikers to visit. Bramhigiri is the range of Western Ghats that borders Kerala and Karnataka. There is an ancient temple named Thirunelli Temple is located in this hill that also attracts a lot of tourists and hikers to visit this place.
Other Important Information
Places to Stay near Harangi Dam (resorts in Nisargadhama Forest)
There are several places to stay near Harangi Dam. But the resorts in Nisargadhama Forest is the best affordable place to stay. It is situated in the breathtakingly beautiful island off the state highway 2km from Kushal Nagar town and 28 km from Madikeri.
The resort is a bit isolated from the crowd. It has wooden cottages with all the modern facilities like 24-hour room services, parking space, free Wi-Fi, and many more. It offers good food, pristine and hygienic rooms and washrooms, skilled hotel staff, and car rental services.
This could be the choice for those who are in a search of peace and want to spend time amidst nature. There are also several other places to stay namely Coorg Regency, Vinayak lodge and many others.
Places to Eat near Harangi Dam
As it is a popular place to visit in Karnataka, there are many eateries and restaurants over the location. The most hygienic and affordable restaurants is Dreamland where you can try Coorg traditional foods.
Among the other hotels, BSR Garden Family Restaurant is perfect for taking your family.
Transportation facility
Madikeri bus stand is the nearest to the Harangi Dam. You can travel the distance from the hotel by the auto or cab. The option is to hire a car from the resorts.
Medical Facilities
Medical facilities around Harangi Dam are limited in number. The two main medical units are Govt. Hospital – Kudige which is just 3.0 km from Harangi Dam. One can easily travel the distance by auto or cab or by an ambulance. The other option is Kaveri Hospital, Kushalnagar, which is 4.1 km from Harangi Dam. The distance can be covered by auto or ambulance.
Network Connectivity
Most of the network service providers are present in every corner of India, so in karnataka too. Coorg is a hill station so it is a bit problematic to get uninterrupted network. Most of the hotels in this famous hill station provides free Wi-Fi services to their customers.
