The Western Ghats are well known for their rich and unique assemblage of flora and fauna. Efforts are on to get this bio-diversity hotspot declared a World Heritage site by the UNESCO. Radhakrishna Rao reports.

Karnataka's Tourism Department has unveiled a draft policy that is aimed at making the State a top tourist destination. PHOTOGRAPHS: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The Jog Falls. The Sharavathi river plunges from a height of 243 metres here. FROM splendid temples dating back to over a millennium, to the breathtaking valleys and the lush green rolling hills of the Western Ghats, Karnataka offers a diverse bouquet of tourist attractions. Whether heritage tourism or adventure tourism, there are offerings across the State for both budget and luxury tourists.

A proposal to set up the 800 sq km Sahyadri tiger reserve in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra is getting finishing touches. Sahyadri will be the state's fourth tiger reserve. "The state will submit

Wizened old Jidemadamma has to depend on her neighbours for meals. Her son and daughter-in-law have gone to Kodagu to collect pepper from trees and will not be back before two weeks. “They took the children along because I cannot move around much. Earlier, all of us stayed together here.