Hercefrax at 13:46, 15 December 2025

2025-12-15T13:46:00Z

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{{original research|date=March 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kushalanagar
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| image_skyline = File:Kushalnagar Taluk.jpg
| image_caption = Kushalanagar Taluk Map
| nickname = Gateway of Kodagu
| settlement_type = Town
| pushpin_map = India Karnataka#India3
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Karnataka, India
| coordinates = {{coord|12.457434|N|75.960332|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Karnataka]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kodagu district|Kodagu]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body = Town Municipal Council
| leader_title =
Administrator
| leader_name = Narwade Vinayak Karbhari <sub>I.A.S</sub>
| leader_title1 = Chief Officer
| leader_name1 = Krishna Prasad
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 = 11.12
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 844
| population_total = 29268
| population_as_of = 2022
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.municipaladmn.gov.in/sites/municipaladmn.gov.in/files/2023-03/5011.pdf|access-date=1 May 2024|title=(Population & Area)Gazettee Notification about upgradation of Kushalnagar town from TP to TMC}}</ref>
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Kannada]]
| timezone1 = [[India Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 571 234
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 08276
| registration_plate = [[List of RTO districts in India#KA—Karnataka|KA-12]]
| website ={{url|www.kushalnagartown.mrc.gov.in/}}
| iso_code = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|IN-KA]]
| footnotes =
| official_name = Kushalanagara
| population_metro = 80000
}}

'''Kushalanagar''' or '''Kushalanagara''' is a city located in the [[Kodagu district]] of the Indian state of [[Karnataka]]. Surrounded by Kaveri river, it is the gateway to [[Kodagu district]]. It also serves as the headquarters of Kushalanagar Taluk.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-01|title=Kushalnagar Taluk formed; Kodagu now has five taluks|url=https://starofmysore.com/kushalnagar-taluk-formed-kodagu-now-has-five-taluks/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Star of Mysore|language=en-US}}</ref> By population, Kushalanagar is the second largest town in [[Kodagu district]] after [[Madikeri]] and the fastest developing town in the district. Kushalnagar is an important commercial centre in Kodagu.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=After Ponnampet, Kushalnagar may soon get taluk status |date=2020-11-30|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/after-ponnampet-kushalnagar-may-soon-get-taluk-status/article33214264.ece|access-date=2020-12-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kannada.oneindia.com/news/madikeri/kushalnagar-town-panchayath-upgrade-as-municipality-277880.html|access-date= 15 July 2023|title=Upgrading from Town Panchayath to Town Municipal Council}}</ref>

==Etymology==

According to popular myth, the name was given by [[Hyder Ali]] who was camped there when he received news of the birth of his son [[Tipu Sultan|Tipu]] and called it as ''Kushyal nagar'' (="town of gladness")<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/agazetteersouth01walkgoog#page/n612/mode/2up|page=580|title=A gazetteer of Southern India|year=1855|publisher=Pharoah and Co.|place=Madras|author=Anonymous}}</ref> But in reality, Tipu was born around 1750 while Hyder Ali entered Kodagu for the first time in the 1760s. After the British conquest of Coorg it was known as '''Fraserpet''' after Colonel [[James Stuart Fraser]] who was the Political Agent in [[Coorg]] around 1834.<ref>Anon. 1908 The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. 11. Oxford. [https://archive.org/stream/imperialgazettee11greauoft#page/12/mode/2up page 12]</ref>

==Geography==
Kushalanagar is located at {{coord|12.47|N|75.97|E|}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/19/Kushalnagar.html|title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Kushalnagar, India|website=www.fallingrain.com}}</ref> It has an average elevation of 844 metres (2726 feet).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |title=Elevation of Kushalnagar |access-date=15 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521043409/https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |archive-date=21 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Kushalanagar is situated in the eastern part of [[Kodagu]] district. The town is generally flat, although a few areas are hilly. [[Kaveri]] river surrounds the town in all directions except the west. It is roughly 85 kilometres west of [[Mysore]], 220 kilometres west of [[Bangalore]] and 170 kilometres east of [[Mangalore]].

==Demographics==
{{As of|2011}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Kushalanagara had a population of 23,200. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/2922_PART_B_DCHB_KODAGU.pdf|access-date= 31 July 2023|title=Census Data Handbook 2011}}</ref> The sex ratio in Kushalnagar town as per 2011 census is 980 (Somwarpet Taluk is 1027). Whereas Male population in Somwarpet Taluk was 49.22 percent (90783) and female population was 50.78 percent (93667). Kushalanagar has an average literacy rate of 89.53%, higher than the state average of 75.36%. In kushalnagar, 93.52% of male are literate while for females, the number is 85.87%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age <ref>[http://www.kushalnagar.tpa.gov.in/sites/kushalnagar.tpa.gov.in/files/Master%20Plan%20Final%202031_Report_upload.pdf MASTER PLAN (FINAL) – 2031 FOR KUSHALNAGAR LOCAL PLANNING AREA KUSHALANAGAR http://www.kushalnagar.tpa.gov.in/sites/kushalnagar.tpa.gov.in/files/Master%20Plan%20Final%202031_Report_upload.pdf]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Kushalnagar along with its cluster of nearby villages including Mullusoge, Baichanahalli, Gummanakolli, Kudlur and Madapatna forms one of the most densely populated areas in the district with combined population of 39,393.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Census 2011 Kodagu|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/2922_PART_B_DCHB_KODAGU.pdf}}</ref>

The conurbation of Kushalnagar measures nearly 35km<sup>2</sup>, making it largest urban settlement in the district.

== Economy ==
Kushalnagar is an important commercial centre in Kodagu.<ref name=":0" /> KIADB Industrial Area is located in Kudloor of Kushalnagar where multiple coffee processing industries are located.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-11-19|title=Kushalnagar to get new industries|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/kushalnagar-to-get-new-industries/article33134395.ece|access-date=2020-12-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Education ==
Kushalanagara has an average literacy rate of 89%. The town has six private Schools, one government school (from kindergarten to degree), one polytechnic school, and city has one government engineering college affiliated to VTU. A [[Sainik School]] is located in the outrange of the town, where students receive military training.

== Notable sites nearby ==
# [[Harangi Dam]]
# [[Nisargadhama]]
# [[Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary]]
# [[Dubare]] Elephant Camp
# [[Mallalli Falls]]
# [[Chiklihole]]

==Transport==
[[Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation|KSRTC]] has a bus station here. They connect the town to metropolitan cities like [[Bangalore]] and [[Kempegowda International Airport|KIAL]], [[Mysore]], [[Mangalore]], [[Ernakulam]], [[Madurai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Hubli]] and many other smaller cities.
The nearest railway stations are [[K R Nagar]] at a distance of 60 kms and [[Mysore Junction railway station|Mysore]] at the distance of 85 kms.

There is no railway service in Kodagu. A railway line from Mysore to Kushalnagar has been planned but has been opposed by environmental activists.<ref name="railway">{{cite news |last1=Bhardwaj |first1=Meena |title=Environmentalists oppose proposed Mysuru-Kushalnagar rail line |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2019/mar/06/green-activists-oppose-proposed-mysuru-kushalnagar-rail-line-1947305.html |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=New Indian Express |date=6 March 2019}}</ref> The nearest airport is at Mysore, and the nearest international airport is [[Kannur International Airport]]. The [[Airports Authority of India]] has proposed a construction of a new mini airport named [[Kushalnagar airport]] in the town to boost tourism from other parts of the state.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-03-02|title=Funds sought for airport expansion, Kushalnagar railway line|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/funds-sought-for-airport-expansion-kushalnagar-railway-line/article30965553.ece|access-date=2020-12-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Madikeri]]
* [[Kaveri Nisargadhama]]
* [[Mangalore]]
* [[Somvarpet]]
* [[Virajpet]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Kushalanagar}}

{{Kaveri River}}
{{Kodagu (Coorg) topics}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Kodagu district]]

Kushalanagar - Revision history

Hercefrax at 13:46, 15 December 2025