Shimoga district, officially spelt Shivamogga district, is an administrative district in the central part of the Indian state of Karnataka. The district headquarters is the city of Shivamogga, situated on the banks of the Tunga River. The district lies in the Malnad (hill country) region of Karnataka and is known for its dense forests, rivers, waterfalls, and fertile agricultural land.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| Region | Malnad (Western Ghats) |
| Headquarters | Shivamogga |
| Official language | Kannada |
| Major rivers | Tunga, Bhadra, Sharavathi, Varada |
Shimoga district lies in the transition zone between the Western Ghats and the Deccan plateau. The western and southwestern parts of the district are mountainous and heavily forested, forming part of the Western Ghats, while the eastern parts are comparatively flatter and used for agriculture. The district is drained by several rivers, the most prominent being the Tunga, Bhadra, Sharavathi, and Varada. The Tunga and Bhadra unite at Koodli, within the district, to form the Tungabhadra River.
The Sharavathi river gives rise to the famous Jog Falls, one of the highest plunge waterfalls in India, located on the border with Uttara Kannada district. The Linganamakki Reservoir on the Sharavathi supplies water to the Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project, an important source of electricity in Karnataka.
The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner and is part of the Karnataka revenue administration. It is divided into several taluks, including:
The region that constitutes present-day Shimoga district has a long recorded history. It was at different times part of the territories of the Kadambas, the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and the Vijayanagara Empire. The Keladi Nayakas (also called the Nayakas of Ikkeri or Bednur) ruled large parts of the Malnad region, with their capital first at Keladi and later at Ikkeri and Bednur (modern Nagara), all within or near the district. After the fall of the Keladi kingdom in the 18th century, the area passed under the rule of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and subsequently formed part of the princely state of Mysore under the British paramountcy.
After Indian independence, Shimoga district became part of the Mysore State, which was reorganised and renamed Karnataka in 1973. In 1997, the western and northern portions of the old Shimoga district were carved out to form the new Davanagere district (with some taluks reorganised). The district itself was officially renamed Shivamogga in line with the 2014 Karnataka government decision to use Kannada-script names for major cities and districts.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the rural economy. The district is a major producer of paddy (rice), areca nut, coconut, sugarcane, pepper, and cardamom. Bhadravati hosts the Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL), one of the oldest steel plants in India, founded in 1923 as the Mysore Iron and Steel Works under the initiative of M. Visvesvaraya. Hydroelectric power generation, forest-based industries, and tourism are other important sectors.
Kannada is the principal language of the district. The Malnad region has produced several notable figures in Kannada literature and public life, including the Jnanpith Award–winning writer K. V. Puttappa (Kuvempu), who hailed from Kuppalli in Tirthahalli taluk. The district has a tradition of Yakshagana performance and is home to numerous temples, including those at Keladi, Ikkeri, Humcha (a Jain pilgrimage centre), and Sigandur.
The district is served by Kuvempu University, located at Jnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghatta, near Shivamogga, established in 1987 and named after the poet Kuvempu. Bhadravati and Shivamogga also host engineering, medical, and arts colleges affiliated to various Karnataka universities.
Shivamogga city is connected by road and rail to Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, and other parts of Karnataka. National and state highways pass through the district, and the Shivamogga Airport at Sogane provides regional air connectivity.