Stories
Agumbe Ghat's Secret: 1839 Stones Reveal 187-Year Road History!
- •Two ancient stone plaques in Agumbe Ghat unveil the nearly two-century-old history of the road.
- •One stone reads "HEAD OF THE GHAUT – 1839," marking the construction period of the road.
- •Another stone, inscribed "55 M 1 F AND 122 YDS FROM SHEMOGA," indicates a distance of approximately 88.8 km from Shivamogga.
- •British-era Mysore administration records confirm a major road construction project from Shivamogga to Agumbe Ghat in the late 1830s.
- •The Agumbe Ghat road was a planned engineering feat during the British era, completed by 1839, designed to withstand monsoon conditions.
Key Questions Answered
Two old stone plaques near the top of Agumbe Ghat serve as rare physical markers of its 187-year road history. One stone features the inscription "HEAD OF THE GHAUT – 1839" along with contractor initials, while the other functions as a distance marker from Shivamogga using the British imperial measurement system.
The second stone is inscribed with "55 M 1 F AND 122 YDS FROM SHEMOGA," utilizing imperial units where M stands for mile, F for furlong, and YDS for yard. When converted to modern metrics, this measurement equals approximately 55.19 miles or 88.8 kilometers.
Government records from the British-era Mysore administration show that a carriage road project from Shivamogga to the foot of Agumbe Ghat was approved around 1837. Construction continued over the next two years, and the main road was completed by 1839, matching the date on the stone plaque.
