Tarikere

Tarikere is a town, a taluk and is one of the two Subdivisional headquarter in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka state, India. It is popularly known as gateway of Malnad because the Malnad area starts from here. The town's name is derived from the number of water tanks which surround it (kere is the word for a large water tank).

Road
NH-69 (Previously known as NH-206 or BH Road) (Bangalore to Honnavar) pass through Tarikere.

From Mysore it can be reached via Mysuru-Arsikere state highway and then by NH-69.

From the district headquarters of Chikmagalur, Tarikere can be reached in 2 different ways. It can be reached via Lingadahalli on SH-57 (through mountainous forest & Coffee estates) (57 km), or via Kadur and Birur on NH-173 (75 km).

Rail
Tarikere lies on the Birur to Talguppa railway line. There are trains from Chikmagalur, Mysore and Bangalore which stop at Tarikere (Station Code: TKE) on the way to Shimoga.

Air
There are no airports in the near vicinity. People traveling via airplane have to make use of the Mangalore, Hubli, or Bangalore airports and choose an alternate means of transport to reach Tarikere. The nearest International airport is Mangalore which is about 210kms, via Agumbe ghat road.

Geography
Tarikere is located at 13.72°N, 75.82°W. It has an average elevation of 698 metres (2290 feet).

Tarikere borders three taluks in its own district. There is Channagiri taluk to the north, Narasimharajapura to the west, Chikmagalur to the south-west, and Kadur to the south. Shimoga and Bhadravathi border Tarikere to the North and are in the Shimoga District. The following are the headquarters which include both Malnad and Maidan  within Tarikere taluk:
 * 1) Amruthapura
 * 2) Lakkavalli
 * 3) Lingadahalli
 * 4) Kasaba

Demographics
India census, Tarikere had a population of about 35,000. Males constitute 51% of the population and females constitute 49%. Tarikere has an average literacy rate of 68%, 8.5% higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy levels are at 73%, and female literacy levels are at 62%. In Tarikere, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy
Agriculture is the primary occupation in Tarikere. Betel nuts, Paddy, Ragi, Areca nuts, Coffee, Coconuts, Bananas, Pan leaves, Mangoes, and Corn are the major types of crops grown in this region. The region used to be a major rice-producing area though now predominantly grows areca nut. Vigyan Industries, a subsidiary of BEML, is present near Tarikere and is a major producer of steel castings.

Nearby places
Tarikere is surrounded by many tanks and ponds. The tanks near Tarikere include Chikkere, Doddakere, Dalavikere, Ramanayakanakere, and Kendarahalla. There are also several historical places surrounding Tarikere.
 * Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary as well as a tiger protection area.
 * Kemmangundi is a popular hill station in Tarikere.
 * Amritheshwara temple constructed by the Hoysalas.
 * The Kallathigiri falls are a popular series of miniature waterfalls which run under the Lord Veera Bhadra temple.
 * Bhadra Dam one of the oldest and biggest dam of Karnataka surrounded by hills of the western ghats
 * Sri Subrahmanya Swamy temple is also a Hindu temple located in the heart of the town.
 * Sri Banashankari devi temple is also a Hindu temple in the town.
 * Sri Parmanugatte Anjeneya Swamy templeis also one of the popular Hindu temples located in the town.

Other information
Tarikere is immortalised in the popular Kannada tongue-twister folksong "Tarikere Kere Eri Mele Mooru Kari Kuri Mari Meythittu". This was also the title for a song in the film Devara Duddu and was sung by the famous singer, S P Balasubramanyam.