Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary

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Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Sanctuary
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Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary
Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 13°42′N74°39′E / 13.700°N 74.650°E / 13.700; 74.650
CountryIndia
State Karnataka
District Udupi district
Established1974
Area
  Total
370.37 km2 (143.00 sq mi)
Languages
  Official Kannada
Nearest cityKundapur, Udupi district
Governing bodyKudremukh Wildlife Division, Karnataka Forest Department

Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the southern state of Karnataka in India. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] It derives its name from the presiding deity "Goddess Mookambika" of the popular Kollur Mookambika Temple. [6] The sanctuary lies in the Western Ghats in Udupi district of Karnataka. The sanctuary consists of an area of 274 km2 (106 sq mi) was notified in the year 1974, by the Government of Karnataka vide notification AFD.48.FWL.74 dated 17 June 1974. [7]

Contents

Kollur Mookambika Temple Kollur mookambika temple21.jpg
Kollur Mookambika Temple

This was subsequently expanded to 370.37 km2 (143.00 sq mi) vide notification No.KFD-48-FWL-74, dated: 22-05-1978/No.FEE-302-FWL-2011-(III), dated: 27-12-2011.

The expanded sanctuary comprises the Abbigudde, Baregundi, Chakra, Chittor, Gunduberu, Harmannupare, Hulikal, Hulimurdibare, Jannalane, Kilandur, Kodachadri, Korakoppadahola, Korathikalbare, Madibare, Meganivalley, Metkalgudda, Mudgalpare, Murkodihola, Naganakalbare, Nujinane, Talburane reserve forests. [8]

The perennial Chakra and Sowparnika rivers flow through the sanctuary. The famed Kodachadri hills and Kollur Mookambika Temple is also found within the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has good road connectivity from Kundapur (35 km), Byndoor (25 km), and Shimoga (130 km). The nearest railway station is Mookambika Railway Station (28 km) at Byndoor. The nearest airport is located at Mangalore (Bajpe), which is 140 km away.

Flora and fauna

Kodachadri Hills Kodachadri Hills.jpg
Kodachadri Hills

The Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary has west coast tropical evergreen forests, west coast semi evergreen forests, southern secondary moist mixed deciduous forests and dry grasslands in its ranges. [9]

The sanctuary has fauna like tiger, leopard, dhole (wild dog), jackal, sloth bear, Indian wild boar, Indian porcupine, sambar, spotted deer, muntjac (barking deer), mouse deer, gaur (Indian bison), Indian hare, lion tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, common langur, giant flying squirrel, king cobra, python etc.

Jungle myna, Peafowl, Great Indian hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, Common fowl, Common myna, White cheeked bulbul, Red vented bulbul, Little cormorant, Cattle egret, Little egret, Black drongo, Jungle crow, Crow pheasant, Brahminy kite, Grey jungle fowl, Pea fowl, White breasted water hen, Red wattled lapwing, Spotted dove, Blue rock pigeon, White breasted king fisher, Golden backed threetoed wood pecker, Scarlet minivet, Ashy swallow shrike, Paradise fly catcher, Magpie robin, Tailor bird, Purple sunbird, White-rumped munia, Golden oriole. [7]

Other tourist attractions

Some of the other tourist attractions nearby are Anejhari Butterfly Camp, [10] Abbey Falls, Arasinagundi Water Falls, Belkal Theertha Falls, Koosalli Waterfalls, Kollur Mookambika temple, Mudagal Cave Temple. [7]

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Mookambika Road Byndoor is a railway station in coastal Karnataka in South of India. Its four-letter code is BYNR. Mookambika Road Byndoor is the main railway station in the town of Byndoor in Udupi district. It serves Byndoor city which is 1 kilometre away from the station. It is the nearest railway station to the famous pilgrimage centre, Kollur Mookambika temple. The distance from Byndoor railway station to Kollur Mookambika temple is about 28 km which can be covered in 40 minutes to one hour by road. Trains from here connect the city to prominent state capitals of India like Bangalore (Karnataka), Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai and so forth. It is also well connected to the major railway stations such as Goa (Madgoan), Udupi, Mangalore, Kasaragod and Ernakulam. Rail connectivity in Byndoor was established in 1997. A total of 34 express and passenger trains halt here; there was one originating and terminating trains at this station: Mookambika Road–Kannur Passenger train; however this service was terminated in 2017 within two years of service due to lack of revenue generation. Although the railway station caters to a lot of passengers and superfast trains on a daily basis, it does not have a siding line or passing loop. Any crossing of trains can only happen either on Bijoor or Shiroor railway stations 19 km apart.

Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka state in India. It is named after the Sharavathi River flowing through the sanctuary. The sanctuary is spread across the forests of Uttara Kannada & Shivamogga districts of Karnataka, Sharavathi Reservoir is present within the sanctuary. The nearest town Sagara is 34 km away and is connected by bus service to Shivamogga, Hubballi, Mangaluru and Bengaluru on a daily basis. The nearest railway station Thalaguppa is 15 Km away, while the nearest airport viz. Mangalore is located about 200 Km from the sanctuary.

References

  1. "Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary". karnatakaholidays.com. Karnataka Holidays.
  2. "Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollur". nativeplanet.com. Native Planet.
  3. "Arashinagundi falls". touristinindia.com. Tourist in India.
  4. "SO 2869(E)[19.10.2015] : Draft notification declaring Eco-sensitive Zone around the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Karnataka". envfor.nic.in. THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS, Government of India.
  5. "Boost for conservation as six more sanctuaries get buffer zone". thehindu.com. The Hindu.
  6. "ಶ್ರೀ ಮೂಕಾಂಬಿಕಾ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಕೊಲ್ಲೂರು". kollurmookambika.org. Kolluru Mookambika Temple. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. 1 2 3 "Govt. of Karnataka-Forest Department: Management Plan, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollur" (PDF). aranya.gov.in. Karnataka-Forest Department.
  8. "Karnataka State Letter-Official Publication" (PDF). gazette.kar.nic.in. Govt. of Karnataka.
  9. "Gazette of India" (PDF). moef.gov.in. gov.in.
  10. "Anejhari Butterfly Camp". junglelodges.com. Jungle Lodges.