Agumbe Village – Cherrapunji of the South on the Western Ghats

By George On

Agumbe Village on the Western Ghats is called the Cherrapunji of the South. It is located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka state, India.

Agumbe Village, Western Ghats, Cherrapunji of the SouthAgumbe

One of the most scenic places in India, this village receives maximum rainfall in south India. The second-highest rainfall in India has been recorded here. Hence the name Cherrapunji of the South. Cherrapunji and the nearby Mawsynram village (at around 10 miles distance), in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, is considered as the wettest place on the Planet (or one of the wettest places on Earth) and receives more than 460 inches (or around 40 feet) of annual rainfall.

Agumbe is part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Barkana Falls is a beautiful waterfall that is ranked as the 10th highest waterfall in India near Agumbe. Onake Abbi Falls is another waterfall nearby. Jogigundi Falls and Koodlu Theertha Falls are the other two near Agumbe. Sunset over the Arabian Sea can be seen from the Upidi-Agumbe road, on the 14th hair-pin bent, while you are coming from Udipi.

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats is very close to this village, a vast rainforest.  Kudremukh National Park is another nearby National Park.

Famous Novelist R.K. Narayanan’s novel Malgudi Days was shot here. Malgudi Days was a very popular television serial that went on the air in the mid-’80s.

Medicinal Plants Conservation Area is a separate protected area, which is being used for the conservation of Medicinal Plants, which was established in 1999. There are many medicinal plants inside this protected conservation area.

How Do I Go to Agumbe Village?

Agumbe is accessible from Udipi, Karnataka. A long, hair-pin-bent road takes you to the top of this picturesque village.

Thirthahalli is the nearest town on National Highway Number NH13. Udupi is the nearest railway station, and Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport.