VIRAJPET: Virajpet, 32 km from Madikeri, is a taluk headquarters. The town, situated at the foot of a hill, is well connected by road with coastal Kerala towns like Kannur and Tellicherry. Virajpet was built in 1792 A.D. by the Kodagu Raja, Dodda Veerarajendra, on the site where he met the British Governor Robert Abercromby in 1791. The Governor requested the Kodagu Raja to provide passage for moving the British troops from Bombay via Tellicherry through Coorg, on their way to Srirangapatna to fight Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.

Dodda Veerarajendra invited craftsmen and traders from neighbouring states to settle down in the town. Even to this day, some of the street names include Telugu Street, Bengali Street and Jain Street.

The Clock Tower is the most visible landmark of Virajpet, erected in 1914 to commemorate the Delhi Durbar of King George V. A local coffee planter, Mukkatira Aiyappa, took a prominent part in the construction of the tower.