Not a reserved forest or a proper sanctuary, Kokkare Bellur is a small village where birds and men have learnt the way of peaceful coexistence. They maintain a unique ecological balance, not taught by any outsider and know how to make use of each other’s presence without causing any harm or disturbance. In fact, the village is named after the birds since the term ‘Kokkare’, is the Kannad word for ‘Painted Storks’, the most common birds in the area, while ‘Bellur’ means white village. Spot billed Pelicans are also found here and both kinds of pelicans are about to enter the threatened category of species. Kokkare Bellur is not a man-made sanctuary, but a natural haven for these migratory birds.

Location

Kokkare Bellur is located in the Maddur Taluk of the Mandya district in Karnataka. Maddur is situated in between the cities of Mysore and Bangalore. It is 83 kilometres from Bangalore and separated from the Mysore highway by 12 kilometres.

Flora and Fauna

Flora

The village of Kokkare Bellur is positioned near the Shimsha river which then flows ahead to meet river Kaveri. The most common produce in the district is sugarcane which is helped by these birds. Their droppings, locally called ‘guano’, is rich in potassium and is used by the villagers as manure for cultivation. Other common trees include Ficus and Tamarind.

Fauna

Black Ibis, Little Cormorant, Black Crowned Night Heron, Grey Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Spot Bill Pelican, Ring Necked Parakeets and the Painted Storks form the main fauna in the village of Kokkare Bellur. One can spot up to 20 pairs of these birds on a tree during the peak time of their visit. They usually reach post monsoon, around the month of September. They lay their eggs in the following month and stay till spring and leave before the summer comes, along with their babies, who have been fed and brought up over the past three months or so. The Spot-billed Pelican and the Painted Stork are the most common of the above mentioned birds.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the place is between the months of November to June when the activities of the birds are at their peak!

Accommodation

There are no tourist accommodations at Kokkare Bellur. It is best for a day’s visit. One can put up at Mandya where several grades of hotels are available for tourists.

Visitor Information

• Since, it is a usual village with nothing more captivating than the birds, it is best to visit during the season, since it might seem boring at other times.
• The Chennakesava Temple complex and the Ranganathittu Sanctuary are other interesting places to visit nearby.

How to Reach

Air

Bangalore is the nearest international and domestic airport, about 83 kilometres away.

Rail

Mandya and Maddur are the closest railway stations and the former is located at a distance of 20 kilometres.

Road

From Bangalore one needs to reach Ramanagara after Bidadi and then Channapatna before Maddur, where one will find a place called Rudrakshipura. Kokkare Bellur is at a distance of 12 kilometres from here via the inner roads.