Current Time in Shimoga, India

Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city in the state of Karnataka in southern India, standing on the banks of the Tunga River in the central part of the state. It lies where the plains of the Deccan meet the Malnad, the hilly, high-rainfall country along the crest of the Western Ghats, and it is universally described as the gateway to that region. Areca palm plantations, paddy fields and dense green hills surround the city.

The population is around three hundred and fifty thousand. Shimoga is the commercial and administrative centre of a district known for areca nut, rice, spices and increasingly for horticulture, and it also handles timber, engineering and food processing. Its wider importance is environmental and touristic, since the district contains some of the most spectacular scenery and richest biodiversity in southern India.

The area has a long history under the Kadamba, Hoysala and Vijayanagara dynasties, and later under the Keladi Nayakas, who ruled from nearby Keladi and Ikkeri in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and left temples and palaces of considerable refinement. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan controlled the region in the eighteenth century, and the fort at Shimoga was a point of contention in the wars with the British. The name is often explained as deriving from Shiva-Mukha, the face of Shiva, or from a local word for sweet pot, referring to the sage Durvasa's cooking vessel.

The chief attraction of the district is Jog Falls, where the Sharavathi River drops more than 250 metres in four separate cascades, making it one of the highest waterfalls in India and a spectacular sight in the monsoon. The Shivappa Nayaka Palace in the city houses an archaeological museum, and the Sakrebailu elephant camp on the Tunga allows visitors to watch elephants bathing. Agumbe, high in the Ghats, is famous for its sunsets, its extraordinary rainfall and the king cobra research carried out there, while Kodachadri, Honnemaradu and the Sharavathi valley reserve draw trekkers and boaters. The Gudavi bird sanctuary and Tyavarekoppa lion safari complete the list.

Culturally the region is closely associated with Kannada literature. The poet Kuvempu, winner of the Jnanpith Award and author of the state anthem, was born at Kuppali in the district, and his home is preserved as a museum and cultural centre. Yakshagana, the vivid all-night dance drama of coastal Karnataka, is performed widely, and the district is known for its temple festivals and for a strong tradition of theatre and journalism.

Transport has improved recently. Shivamogga Airport opened in 2023, giving direct flights to Bengaluru and other cities, and the railway connects the city to Bengaluru, Mysuru and the coast. National highways run through towards Mangaluru and Hubballi.

Kuvempu University, based nearby at Shankaraghatta, together with medical, engineering and agricultural colleges, makes Shimoga an educational centre for central Karnataka.

Shimoga is important as the doorway to the Western Ghats, combining waterfalls, rainforest and wildlife with a rich literary heritage and the temple architecture of several southern dynasties.