Children of Bamboo : Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Organic Coffee

The BRT Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka State. BRT is also known as Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple. The BRT reserve forest declares as Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The BRT Wildlife Sanctuary spread in three taluks of Yelandur, Chamarajanagar and Kollegal of Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka state, India. The Sanctuary derives it’s name “BILIGIRI” from the white rocky cliff, the top of which resembles a table top and has the temple of Lord “VISHNU” locally known as Rangaswamy.
About SOLIGA Community:
   The word ‘Soliga’ means ‘Children of bamboo’. Around 360 soliga tribal families are now involved in organic coffee farming in India’s bio diversity hotspot, living in harmony with tigers and wild boars. The Soliga tribal people have been living near the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary for centuries. The Soligas were a foraging and hunting community and their major role livelihood depended on forest resources. The traditional economy of Soliga is mostly based on shifting cultivation and collection of minor forest produce. They used to practice shifting cultivation. At that time there was no restriction on landholding, and depending on their capacity, they used to cultivate the land.  Historically Soligas involved in protecting the forest and wildlife. The Soliga tribals who were earlier dependent on forest produce, have now taken up coffee cultivation in the tiger reserve.
About BILIGIRI Coffee:
        Organic Coffee that brewed a new life for soliga tribes community. Currently the Soligas are cultivating the forest land and producing organic coffee. This is a initiative supported by the Coffee Board of India and the Government of Karnataka in partnership with NABARD. It will help livelihood of the Soliga tribal’s by acquiring this coffee.