Chikkamagaluru, a popular tourist destination in Karnataka renowned for its scenic beauty, has witnessed a significant surge in tourist arrivals following the implementation of the state government's Shakti Yojana. The scheme has contributed to a doubling of tourist numbers in the district, highlighting its positive impact on local tourism.
Fondly referred to as the 'Coffee Land of Karnataka' and the 'Kashmir of Karnataka', Chikkamagaluru attracted 69.70 lakh tourists in 2022. As of June-end 2023, the district has already welcomed 29.24 lakh visitors. Within just one month of the Shakti scheme's introduction, Chikkamagaluru witnessed an impressive influx of 7.17 lakh tourists.
Tourist sites such as Mullayyanagiri, Seethalayyanagiri, Bababudangiri, Kemmannugundi, and the waterfalls in the Chandradrona Hill area have been popular among visitors. Additionally, religious centers like the Sharadamba Temple in Sringeri, the Annapoorneshwari Temple in Horanadu, and the Kalaseshwara Temple in Kalasa have attracted a significant number of tourists to the district.
Comparing statistics from June 2022, Sringeri recorded 1.20 lakh visitors, Horanadu received 88,000 visitors, Kalasa welcomed 8,100 visitors, Dattapeetha saw 63,000 visitors, and Kemmannugundi hosted 18,000 visitors, totaling 2.97 lakh tourists for the month. This year has also witnessed a steady flow of visitors, with 8.13 lakh tourists in January, 3.03 lakh in February, 2.93 lakh in March, 3.67 lakh in April, 4.3 lakh in May, and 7.17 lakh in June.
Government records indicate that the free bus travel facility provided to women under the Shakti scheme has encouraged a significant number of female tourists to explore various religious and tourist centers in Chikkamagaluru. Furthermore, with the monsoon season subsiding, tourists have found it an opportune time to visit the district. Notably, the Sharadamba Temple alone witnessed a staggering 1.60 lakh visitors in June, while the Annapoorneshwari Temple and Kalaseshwara Temple welcomed 2.20 lakh and 1.5 lakh visitors, respectively. Dattapeetha and Kemmannugundi received 1.16 lakh and 71,000 visitors, respectively, during the same period.
Lohith, Assistant Director of the Tourism Department, expressed his satisfaction with the significant increase in tourist footfall over the past six months, with approximately 30 lakh visitors exploring the district. The season of the Neelakuruvanji flowers has also attracted a considerable number of tourists to Mullayyanagiri. The Shakti Yojana has played a crucial role in driving tourist numbers to the religious centers and popular tourist spots in Chikkamagaluru. As a result, business activities in the district have witnessed a notable upswing, further bolstering tourism prospects.
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New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025