Jogimatti is a hill station and forest reserve in Chitradurga district, Karnataka, India. The reserve covers 10048.97ha in Chitradurga, Holalkere and Hiriyur taluks, 10km (10miles) south of the city of Chitradurga. There is a century-old hilltop bungalow built by the British to house travellers, and a nearby temple dedicated to the local saint for whom the hill station was named, with 155 steps. The reserve has a small zoo called Adumalleshwar, which the Central Zoo Authority of India ordered renovated in 2012 to better house the animals,[1] and an ecotourism adventure centre which opened in 2010.[2] [3] A waterfall called Himavatkedara or Himavatkedra has created a natural cave in which a Shiva lingam and idols of Veerabhadra and Basavanna have been placed.[2] [4]
Jogimatti is the highest point in the district, at 3803feet in elevation,[4] and one of the coolest places in the state. The vegetation is dry deciduous forest and scrub. It is rich in wildlife[5] and until the 1950s was tiger habitat, but is threatened by encroachment from farms and from nearby windmills,[6] which endanger birds. The tigers and sloth bears are reported to have almost died out, and the medicinal plants found in the reserve are endangered.[7] A proposal has been made to declare it a wildlife refuge.[2] [7] Jogimatti was declared as sanctuary in 2018.[8]