Devarayanadurga Forest Ecology and Sacred Grove, Tumkur

Devarayanadurga in Tumkur district is a rocky hill fortress rising 1,213 metres, surrounded by dry deciduous forest that serves as a vital green corridor in the heavily farmed Deccan plateau landscape. The hill's forests protect populations of leopard, sloth bear, and endemic dry zone birds. The twin sacred tanks — Namada Chilume (spring of sacred water) at the base — are fed by natural springs whose flow is a traditional indicator of forest health for surrounding farming communities. The Bhoga Narasimha and Yoganarasimha temples at the summit attract tens of thousands of pilgrims annually, and community-managed sacred grove (devara kadu) regulations prohibit cutting of trees within a defined radius of the temples, preserving a significant patch of old-growth forest.