Kodagu, the Western Ghats district of Karnataka where the Kaveri rises

Background

Kodagu (Coorg) lies on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats in south-western Karnataka and has a geographical area of 4,102 square kilometers (1,584 sq mi).
Madikeri is the district headquarters, and the district administration's taluk office lists five talukas: Madikeri, Somwarpet, Virajpet, Kushalnagar and Ponnampet.
It is bordered by Dakshina Kannada district to the northwest, Hassan district to the north and Mysore district to the east, and by Kannur district of Kerala to the southwest and Wayanad district of Kerala to the south.
Its lowest elevation is 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea-level; the highest peak Tadiandamol rises to 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) and Pushpagiri, the second highest, to 1,715 meters (5,627 ft).
The main river is the Kaveri (Cauvery), which originates at Talakaveri on the eastern side of the Western Ghats and, with its tributaries, drains the greater part of Kodagu.
Paddy fields are found on the valley floors, with coffee and pepper agro-forestry in the surrounding hills; the most common plantation crop is coffee, especially the robusta variety.
The district has three wildlife sanctuaries, Brahmagiri, Talakaveri and Pushpagiri, and one national park, Nagarhole National Park, also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
Kodagu is home to the native speakers of the Kodava language.