Agumbe (Kannada: ಆಗುಂಬೆ) is a village located in the Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Located in 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" Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the only permanent rainforest research station in India is established here. The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker called Agumbe the capital of King Cobra. An area near Agumbe has been converted into a protected area for Medicinal Plants to help conservation.
World Heritage site
Agumbe forests (as well as nearby Someswara Wild Life Sanctuary) are included in World Heritage sites as a part of Western Ghats.Rainfall
Agumbe receives the second highest annual rainfall in India, next only to Cherrapunji (or the nearby Mawsynram).[4] 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)Places of Interest
Sunset Point
Sunset in Agumbe is beautiful.[6] There is a sunset point, located on the 14th hair pin bend on the serpantine road to Agumbe (from Udupi) which receives a lot of visitors. On a clear day, one can see the sun setting over the Arabian Sea though the sea is quite a long distance from Agumbe.
Waterfalls
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.Jogigundi
This is a small water fall which is 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.The endangered Lion-tailed macaque found in Western Ghats
Great Hornbill
Kunchikal Falls
Kunchikal Falls, with a height of 455 mt (1,493 feet)[7] it is near Masthikatte,(next to Ghati Chandikamba temple) Shimoga District.(and not near Agumbe, as detailed in some travel agency tips) It is also near Hosangadi village of Udupi district. It is cascading waters of Varahi River, over hundreds of rocks but the falls is live only during rainy season. In other months, it goes dry because the water is dammed at Mani dam and Varahi Hydroelectric Project.
ONAKE ABBI FALLS
Transportation
Agumbe is near the town of Thirthahalli 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. This is the shortest route from bangalore.
Another choice of route is 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.
Biodiversity
Dyctyophora ('Phallus Indusiatus')fungus found in Sahyadri rangeBeing 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 rain forests 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[citation needed]:
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.[8]
Notothylas dissecta: A plant of type Hornwort earlier found only in Central America, was discovered in Asia for the first time in Agumbe.[9]
Cyclotoma alleni:A beetle discovered in Agumbe.[10]
Some of the Spectacular Agumbe Fauna
King CobraLion-tailed macaque
Cane Turtle
Tiger
Dhole
Hornbills
Sambhar
Atlas moth
Flying lizard
Leopard
Myriads of birds and amphibians
Indian Gaur
Agumbe Rainforest research station (ARRS)
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 Whitaker chose Agumbe as the location for this station since this was the area where he spotted the King Cobra in the early 1970s. 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 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. For his efforts in setting up this station, Whitaker was awarded the United Kingdom's top conservation prize — the Whitley Award in 2005. 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 lectures including demonstrations on snakes and conservation are given to students.
Medicinal Plants Conservation Area
Established in the year 1999, Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area (MPCA) is an area created for the conservation of Medicinal Plants.[11] This area is located at an altitude of 600 to 700 mts above Sea level. Some of the species of plants found here are Garcinia, Myristica, Litsea, Diospyros, Holigarna, Eugenia and Ficus. An organisation called the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) conducted a survey in the MPCA and identified 371 plant species of which 182 were medicinal.[11] Some of the species of plants that are found here are RLs (Red-listed and hence endangered):Adenia hondala
Celastrus paniculatus
Garcinia gummi-gutta
Myristica dactyloides
Persea macrantha
Vateria indica
Salacia oblonga is another medicinal plant endemic to the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka but found only in t
