Dandeli

Dandeli is a city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India, in the Western Ghats region. In 2001 there were 53,287 living in the city. The largest employer in the town is the West Coast Paper Mills. The mill has its own quarters, shopping complex, theatre, restaurant, playground and a clubhouse for the employees.

A local legend says the city is named after Dandelappa, a local deity. He was a servant of the Mirashi landlords, who lost his life because of his loyalty. Another legend says that a king named Dandakanayaka passed through the forests and named them after himself. The city is believed to stand on the place where Dandakaranya stood when he named the area. The word "Aranya" in Kannada language means "forest".

Dandeli is surrounded by natural, historic, and religious landmarks. These include the River Kali, the caves of Kavla, the Syntheri Rocks, the Ulavi temple and Sykes point. Karnataka Power Corporation has a village at Ambikanagar. (18 kilometres or 11 miles from Dandeli). There are also several hydroelectric power stations in the area, including the Nagajhari power house, Supa dam, Tattihalla dam, and the Bommanahalla.