Deviramma Betta
The third summit of the Chandra Drona range, and an 800-year-old hill goddess.
Deviramma Betta stands north of Chikmagalur town in the same range as Mullayanagiri and Baba Budangiri, and it is the least visited of the three. A temple to Deviramma sits at the foot of the hill, easy to reach by car; the summit shrine above it is reached on foot, and the walk crosses open grassland with very little shade. Once a year, at Deepavali, thousands of people climb it overnight for the hill festival.
What to do here
- Visit the foothill temple, reachable by car
- Walk the grass ridge to the summit shrine
- Time a visit for the Deepavali night climb if you want the festival
- Photograph the Chandra Drona range from across the valley
It is the quietest of the district's big hills on an ordinary day, and one of the few places where you can watch the whole Baba Budan escarpment from the outside rather than standing on it.
History
The Deviramma shrine is reckoned to be around eight hundred years old. The goddess is a local kuladevate for families across the taluk, and the annual climb on the night of Deepavali is the single largest gathering on the range.
Travel tips
The approach road is rough in places and best done in something with clearance. Start before 8am — there is no shade on the climb at all. Avoid the Deepavali window unless the crowd is the point: the road jams for kilometres.
Please note
Do: remove footwear at the shrine and ask before photographing worshippers. Do: carry two litres of water per person. Don't: attempt the summit walk in the afternoon heat or after dark. Don't: leave plastic — the hill has no waste collection.
Stay nearby
Places to stay around Deviramma Betta
PremiumTC Resort BND, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 11.2 km from town
PremiumTC Resort SLV, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 9.9 km from town
PremiumTC Resort TRV, Chikmagalur
Mullayanagiri · 12.5 km from town
PremiumTC Resort HDW, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 24 km from town
Combine your trip
Places near Deviramma Betta
PeakBaba Budangiri
A shared shrine on a ridge of coffee legend
Kavikal Gandi Viewpoint
The horseshoe gorge on the Mullayanagiri–Baba Budangiri road — fifty steps up, and the whole range in front of you.
WaterfallJhari Falls (Buttermilk Falls)
A white sheet of water off a granite face
Seethalayyanagiri
The green shoulder below Mullayanagiri, with a Shiva shrine and a view over both valleys.