Sharavathi River
Encyclopedia
Sharavathi is a river
which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka
in India
. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats
. The famous Jog Falls
are formed by this river. The river itself and the region around it are rich in biodiversity and are home to many rare species of flora and fauna.
taluk of Shimoga district
. According to a legend of the times of Ramayana
, this is the place where the Hindu
God Rama
broke a bow to win the hand of Sita
The total length of the river is around 128 km (80 mi) and it joins the Arabian Sea
at Honnavar near Uttara Kannada
district. On its way, the Sharavathi forms the Jog Falls
where the river falls from a height of 253 mts. The river is dammed at Linganamakki and the portion of the river above the dam is upstream and the remaining is downstream. The major tributaries of the river are Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole. Sharavathi river basin falls into two districts of Karnataka
namely Uttara Kannada
and Shimoga
. The upstream river basin is extended to two taluks in Shimoga viz. Hosanagara
and Sagara
. The entire basin has an area of 2985.66 km² (1,153 sq mi). with upstream being 1988.99 km² (768 sq mi). and the downstream being 996.67 km² (385 sq mi).
.
Soils in the Sharavathi basin are mainly lateritic in origin and tend to be acidic and reddish to brownish in colour. The various type of soil found here are clay loamy, clayey, clayey-skeletal, and loamy. Four soil orders are found in the upstream river basin viz. ultisols, alfisols, inceptisols and entisol
s.
, the Sharavathi river basin receives a large amount of rainfall. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 6000 mm in the western side to 1700 mm in the eastern side of the basin. About 95% of the rainfall is received during the month of June to September (July being the rainiest) when the southwest monsoon is at its peak. There is some rainfall in the post monsoon
season in the form of thundershowers mostly during October and some rainfall also occurs during the summer months of April and May. rainfall namely jog rainfall, jarbopa rainfall, mahatma gandhi rainfall.
and the mean daily minimum at 22.2oC.
The Linganamakki dam located in the Sagara
taluk has a length of 2.4 km (1 mi) and was constructed across the Sharavathi river in the year 1964. It was designed to impound 4368 million cubic meter of water in an area of around 300 km² (116 sq mi), submerging 50.62 km² (20 sq mi) of wetland and 7 km² (3 sq mi) of dry land, the remaining being forest land and wasteland. The dam's height is 1819 feet (554.4 m) above sea level. The total capacity of the reservoir is 152 TMC (Thousand Million Cubicfeet). It has a catchment area of nearly 1991.71 km² (769 sq mi). It receives water mainly from rainfall and also from the Chakra and Savahaklu reservoirs, which are linked through Linganamakki through a canal. The water from Linganamakki dam flows to Talakalale Balancing Reservoir through a trapezoidal canal with a discharge capacity of 175.56 cubic metres per second. The length of this channel is about 4318.40 m with a submersion of 7.77 km² (3 sq mi). It has a catchment area of about 46.6 km² (18 sq mi). The gross capacity of the reservoir is 129.60 cu meters.
district. It has a height of 56 metres and a length of 545 metres.
is the highest waterfall in India. The Sharavathi river plunges 253 metres into a deep gorge here in four different segments called as Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani. The volume of water that reaches Jog Falls
is controlled upstream by the Linganamakki dam and the falls are at their mightiest when water is released from the dam.
The Sharavathi river basin is rich in biodiversity
. In a survey conducted in the basin, 23 amphibian
s belonging to the families of Bufonidae, Ichthyophiidae
, Microhylidae
, Ranidae and Rhacophoridae
were recorded. Out of these 23 amphibians, 15 species are endemic
to the Western Ghats. The river lends its name to the following species of fish that have been discovered in its waters:
and semi-evergreen forests. Linganamakki reservoir spread over an area of 128.7 km² (50 sq mi). is a part of this sanctuary. The remaining area has been divided into core zone (74.33 km².), buffer zone
(170.67 km²) and tourism zone (57.53 km².). The altitude in the sanctuary varies from 94 to 1102 mts, the highest point being Devarakonda on the southern edge of the sanctuary. Temperatures range from 15° to 38 °C and mean annual rainfall is 4500 mm.
Flora
The sanctuary has mainly evergreen, semi-green and some moist deciduous
forests. Trees in the evergreen forest include species such as Dipterocarpus
indicus, Calophyllum
tomentosum, Machilus
macrantha, Caryota
urens and Aporosa
lindleyana. In the semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, common species include Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Hopea
parviflora, Dalbergia latifolia
, Dillenia
pentagyna, Careya arborea, Emblica officinalis, Randia
sp., Terminalia
sp. and Vitex altissima.
Fauna
The sanctuary is a refuge of the endangered Lion-tailed macaque
. Other mammals include tiger, leopard (black panther), wild dog, jackal, sloth bear
, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild pig, common langur, bonnet macaque
, Malabar giant squirrel
, giant flying squirrel, porcupine, otter and pangolin
. Reptiles include king cobra
, python, rat snake, crocodile and monitor lizard. Some of the avian species found in the sanctuary include three species of hornbill
, paradise flycatcher, racket-tailed drongo, blue-throated barbet
and Indian lories and lorikeets.
Ramachandrapura Math
Ramachandrapura Math is a Hindu
religious institution located on the banks of the river Sharavathi in the town of Hosanagara
in Shimoga district
. One of the goals of this institution is the protection of Indian breed cattle (Bos indicus). A World Cattle Conference was organised by this institution in the year 2007 to promote propagation and improvement of Indian breeds of cattle.
Honnemaradu
Honnemaradu
is an island on the reservoir
formed by the Linganamakki dam
. It is located in the Sagara
taluk of Shimoga district
. This place is good for watersports and hence attracts its enthusiasts. Some of the water sports possible here are canoeing
, kayaking
and wind surfing. Bird-watching enthusiasts also visit this place.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. The famous Jog Falls
Jog Falls
Jog Falls , created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Sagara, Karnataka Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction...
are formed by this river. The river itself and the region around it are rich in biodiversity and are home to many rare species of flora and fauna.
Origin and topography
The river Sharavathi originates at a place called Ambutheertha in the ThirthahalliThirthahalli
Thirthahalli is a panchayat town located in the Shimoga District of the state of Karnataka, India. It lies on the bank of the river Tunga and is also the headquarters of the Thirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga district.- Etymology :...
taluk of Shimoga district
Shimoga District
Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...
. According to a legend of the times of Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, this is the place where the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
God Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
broke a bow to win the hand of Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
The total length of the river is around 128 km (80 mi) and it joins the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
at Honnavar near Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
district. On its way, the Sharavathi forms the Jog Falls
Jog Falls
Jog Falls , created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Sagara, Karnataka Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction...
where the river falls from a height of 253 mts. The river is dammed at Linganamakki and the portion of the river above the dam is upstream and the remaining is downstream. The major tributaries of the river are Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole. Sharavathi river basin falls into two districts of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
namely Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
and Shimoga
Shimoga District
Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...
. The upstream river basin is extended to two taluks in Shimoga viz. Hosanagara
Hosanagara
Hosanagara is a panchayat town in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is nested in western ghats of India. Recently World Cattle Conference with main emphasis on cow was held in month of April 2007 here. The different uses of cow were exhibited...
and Sagara
Sagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
. The entire basin has an area of 2985.66 km² (1,153 sq mi). with upstream being 1988.99 km² (768 sq mi). and the downstream being 996.67 km² (385 sq mi).
Geology
The river basin mainly consists of Pre-Cambrian rocks. The two major groups of rocks found in the Sharavathi river basin are the Dharwar system and the peninsular gneissGneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
.
- The Dharwar system: This system contains metamorphic rockMetamorphic rockMetamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s that are considered to be among the oldest in India. These rocks are derived from ancient sediments like conglomeratesConglomerate (geology)A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
, ferruginous quartziteQuartziteQuartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
s, greywackeGreywackeGreywacke or Graywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lithic fragments set in a compact, clay-fine matrix. It is a texturally immature sedimentary rock generally found...
s, schistSchistThe schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s and limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s. They are rich in iron and manganese. - Peninsular gneiss: These are crystalline rocks and are made up of graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, granodioriteGranodioriteGranodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
, granito-gneiss, migmatiteMigmatiteMigmatite is a rock at the frontier between igneous and metamorphic rocks. They can also be known as diatexite.Migmatites form under extreme temperature conditions during prograde metamorphism, where partial melting occurs in pre-existing rocks. Migmatites are not crystallized from a totally...
etc.
Soils in the Sharavathi basin are mainly lateritic in origin and tend to be acidic and reddish to brownish in colour. The various type of soil found here are clay loamy, clayey, clayey-skeletal, and loamy. Four soil orders are found in the upstream river basin viz. ultisols, alfisols, inceptisols and entisol
Entisol
In USA soil taxonomy, Entisols are defined as soils that do not show any profile development other than an A horizon. An Entisol has no diagnostic horizons, and most are basically unaltered from their parent material, which can be unconsolidated sediment or rock...
s.
Rainfall
With a major part of the river lying in the Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, the Sharavathi river basin receives a large amount of rainfall. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 6000 mm in the western side to 1700 mm in the eastern side of the basin. About 95% of the rainfall is received during the month of June to September (July being the rainiest) when the southwest monsoon is at its peak. There is some rainfall in the post monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season in the form of thundershowers mostly during October and some rainfall also occurs during the summer months of April and May. rainfall namely jog rainfall, jarbopa rainfall, mahatma gandhi rainfall.
Temperature
April is usually the hottest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at 35.8oCand the mean daily minimum at 22.2oC.
Humidity
During the morning, the relative humidity exceeds 75% for most times of the year. During the months of monsoon, the relative humidity during the afternoons is approximately 60%. During the driest months (January to March), the relative humidity in the afternoon is less than 35%.Linganamakki dam
The Linganamakki dam located in the Sagara
Sagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
taluk has a length of 2.4 km (1 mi) and was constructed across the Sharavathi river in the year 1964. It was designed to impound 4368 million cubic meter of water in an area of around 300 km² (116 sq mi), submerging 50.62 km² (20 sq mi) of wetland and 7 km² (3 sq mi) of dry land, the remaining being forest land and wasteland. The dam's height is 1819 feet (554.4 m) above sea level. The total capacity of the reservoir is 152 TMC (Thousand Million Cubicfeet). It has a catchment area of nearly 1991.71 km² (769 sq mi). It receives water mainly from rainfall and also from the Chakra and Savahaklu reservoirs, which are linked through Linganamakki through a canal. The water from Linganamakki dam flows to Talakalale Balancing Reservoir through a trapezoidal canal with a discharge capacity of 175.56 cubic metres per second. The length of this channel is about 4318.40 m with a submersion of 7.77 km² (3 sq mi). It has a catchment area of about 46.6 km² (18 sq mi). The gross capacity of the reservoir is 129.60 cu meters.
Gerusoppa dam
The Gerusoppa dam project was completed in the year 2002 with the main purpose of generation of electricity. It was constructed near the Gerusoppa village in the Uttara KannadaUttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
district. It has a height of 56 metres and a length of 545 metres.
Hydroelectricity
The Sharavathi Hydroelectric project was started to tap the electricity generating potential of the river. There are three power generating stations in this project viz.- The Sharavathi Generating Station with 10 Units and an installed capacity of 1035 MW
- The Linganamakki Dam Powerhouse with 2 units and an installed capacity of 55 MW
- The Gerusoppa Dam Project with 4 units totalling to 240 MW.
Jog Falls
Jog FallsJog Falls
Jog Falls , created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Sagara, Karnataka Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction...
is the highest waterfall in India. The Sharavathi river plunges 253 metres into a deep gorge here in four different segments called as Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani. The volume of water that reaches Jog Falls
Jog Falls
Jog Falls , created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Sagara, Karnataka Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction...
is controlled upstream by the Linganamakki dam and the falls are at their mightiest when water is released from the dam.
Flora and fauna
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. In a survey conducted in the basin, 23 amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s belonging to the families of Bufonidae, Ichthyophiidae
Ichthyophiidae
Ichthyophiidae is the family of Asiatic tailed caecilians or fish caecilians. They are found in south-east Asia.They are primitive caecilians, lacking many of the derived characters found in the other families. For example, the mouth is not recessed underneath the head, they possess tails, and have...
, Microhylidae
Microhylidae
Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...
, Ranidae and Rhacophoridae
Rhacophoridae
Rhacophoridae is a family of frog species, which occur in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. They are commonly known as shrub frogs, or more ambiguously as "moss frogs" or "bush frogs". Some Rhacophoridae are called "tree frogs"...
were recorded. Out of these 23 amphibians, 15 species are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Western Ghats. The river lends its name to the following species of fish that have been discovered in its waters:
- BatasioBatasioBatasio is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia.-Taxonomy:...
sharavatiensis: A bagrid catfish discovered near Jog FallsJog FallsJog Falls , created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Sagara, Karnataka Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction...
, Uttara KannadaUttara KannadaUttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
district. - Schistura sharavathiensis: A fish species discovered in Sharavathi river near Algod, Shimoga districtShimoga DistrictShimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...
.
Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
A part of the Sharavathi river basin was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 20 April 1972. Spread over an area of 431.23 km² (166 sq mi)., it has dense evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
and semi-evergreen forests. Linganamakki reservoir spread over an area of 128.7 km² (50 sq mi). is a part of this sanctuary. The remaining area has been divided into core zone (74.33 km².), buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
(170.67 km²) and tourism zone (57.53 km².). The altitude in the sanctuary varies from 94 to 1102 mts, the highest point being Devarakonda on the southern edge of the sanctuary. Temperatures range from 15° to 38 °C and mean annual rainfall is 4500 mm.
Flora
The sanctuary has mainly evergreen, semi-green and some moist deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests. Trees in the evergreen forest include species such as Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus has about 70 species, occurring in Southeast Asia. It is an important component of dipterocarp forests...
indicus, Calophyllum
Calophyllum
Calophyllum is a flowering plant genus of around 180-200 species of tropical evergreen trees in the family Calophyllaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek words καλος , meaning "beautiful", and φυλλον , meaning "leaf." Its members are native to Australasia, Madagascar, Eastern Africa,...
tomentosum, Machilus
Machilus
Machilus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Is distributed in temperate, tropical and subtropical Asia. Machilus genus include currently more than 100 species, mostly in laurel forest habitat.-Overview:...
macrantha, Caryota
Caryota
Caryota is a genus of palm trees. They are often known as fishtail palms because of the shape of their leaves. There are about 13 species native to Asia and the South Pacific. One of the more widely known species is Caryota urens, which yields sap used to make an unrefined sugar called jaggery, and...
urens and Aporosa
Aporosa
Aporosa is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the family Phyllanthaceae. The genus comprises about 75 species, distributed from Indomalaya to the Solomon Islands.-Synonymy:The genus is also known as:*Aporusa Blume, orth...
lindleyana. In the semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, common species include Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Hopea
Hopea
Hopea is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus was named after John Hope, 1725-1786, the first Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It contains about 104 species, distributed from Sri Lanka and southern India to southern China, and southward throughout Malesia to...
parviflora, Dalbergia latifolia
Dalbergia latifolia
Dalbergia latifolia is an economically important timber species native to low elevation tropical monsoon forests of eastern India...
, Dillenia
Dillenia
Dillenia is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Dilleniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean islands....
pentagyna, Careya arborea, Emblica officinalis, Randia
Randia
Randia can refer to:*Rand's Warbler , a bird species*Randia , a genus of plants in the Rubiaceae...
sp., Terminalia
Terminalia (plant)
Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.Trees of this genus...
sp. and Vitex altissima.
Fauna
The sanctuary is a refuge of the endangered Lion-tailed macaque
Lion-tailed Macaque
The lion-tailed macaque is an Old World monkey that is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.-Physical Characteristics:...
. Other mammals include tiger, leopard (black panther), wild dog, jackal, sloth bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild pig, common langur, bonnet macaque
Bonnet Macaque
The bonnet macaque is a macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers along with a related competing species of rhesus macaque in the north....
, Malabar giant squirrel
Indian Giant Squirrel
The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. It is a large-bodied diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous squirrel found in South Asia.-Description:...
, giant flying squirrel, porcupine, otter and pangolin
Pangolin
A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...
. Reptiles include king cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, python, rat snake, crocodile and monitor lizard. Some of the avian species found in the sanctuary include three species of hornbill
Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
, paradise flycatcher, racket-tailed drongo, blue-throated barbet
Barbet
American barbets, family Capitonidae, are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes which inhabit humid forests in Central and South America. They are closely related to the toucans....
and Indian lories and lorikeets.
Places of interest
Ramachandrapura Math is a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious institution located on the banks of the river Sharavathi in the town of Hosanagara
Hosanagara
Hosanagara is a panchayat town in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is nested in western ghats of India. Recently World Cattle Conference with main emphasis on cow was held in month of April 2007 here. The different uses of cow were exhibited...
in Shimoga district
Shimoga District
Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...
. One of the goals of this institution is the protection of Indian breed cattle (Bos indicus). A World Cattle Conference was organised by this institution in the year 2007 to promote propagation and improvement of Indian breeds of cattle.
Honnemaradu
Honnemaradu
Honnemaradu
Honnemaradu is a tourist place situated on the back waters of River Sharavathi. It is popular among watersports enthusiasts as a site for kayaking, windsurfing and other similar sports....
is an island on the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
formed by the Linganamakki dam
Linganamakki dam
The Linganamakki dam was constructed by the Karnataka State Government in 1964. Located in the Sagara taluk, the dam has a length of 2.4 km, stretching across the Sharavathi river...
. It is located in the Sagara
Sagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
taluk of Shimoga district
Shimoga District
Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...
. This place is good for watersports and hence attracts its enthusiasts. Some of the water sports possible here are canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
and wind surfing. Bird-watching enthusiasts also visit this place.