Kodachadri Hills

Kodachadri is a forested peak in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, rising to roughly 1,343 m. The trek up passes through dense woodland and waterfalls, and the hill is as much a place of pilgrimage as a trekking route. Local tradition holds that Adi Shankaracharya meditated here, had a vision of the goddess Mookambika, and founded a shrine to her on the hill.

The small stone Mookambika temple near the top is simple in plan, with the goddess, a form of Shakti, on a pedestal in the sanctum and a modest carved gopuram above. A few minor shrines and a courtyard surround it. The hill was once held by the Kadamba dynasty, and fragments of an old fort that used its commanding view still survive. Another landmark is the PWD guest house, called the Inspection Bungalow in British times, a colonial building with a shingled roof and wide verandas.