Chamarajanagar was formerly known as Arikottara. The Mysore Wodeyar king Chamaraja Wodeyar was born here, and hence the place was named after him. The geographical area of Chamarajanagar district is approximately 5,101 sq. km. The district is situated at the southern tip of Karnataka State and lies between 11°40’58” and 12°06’32” North Latitude and 76°24’14” and 77°46’55” East Longitude. It falls within the Southern Dry Zone. The terrain is undulating and mountainous, featuring north-south trending hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats. Located at the southernmost part of Karnataka, Chamarajanagar district shares its borders with the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is bounded by Mysuru District of Karnataka to the west and north, Mandya and Bengaluru Districts of Karnataka to the northeast, Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu to the east, Salem and Erode Districts of Tamil Nadu to the southeast, Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu to the south, and Wayanad District of Kerala to the southwest. A major portion of the district lies within the Nilgiri hill region and consists mainly of semi-arid, rain-fed plains and forest-covered hills. Since 2000, the district has experienced severe drought conditions, leading many poor labourers to migrate seasonally to neighbouring Mysuru or to plantation regions in Kodagu and Kerala in search of employment. Industrial activities are largely confined to Kollegal Town and have primarily focused on the development of the sericulture (silk farming) sector. With the decline of the sericulture industry, several settlements such as Mullur, Mudigunda, Mamballi, and Hanur have undergone a process of industrialization.
