The Kaveri (Cauvery) river rises at Talakaveri in the:

The Kaveri rises at Talakaveri, in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka, at a height of about 1,276 metres.

Talakaveri:

• A small spring-fed tank (kundike) at Talakaveri is considered the source of the river.
• A temple stands there, and it is an important pilgrimage site.
• Every year in mid-October, on Tula Sankramana, devotees gather to see the sacred moment when the water is believed to rise as a fountain from the spring.
• Bhagamandala, a few kilometres downstream, is the confluence of the Kaveri, the Kannike and the mythical Sujyothi river, called the Triveni Sangama.

Course of the Kaveri:

• It flows east through Karnataka, forming the island of Srirangapatna.
• The Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam near Mysuru and the Brindavan Gardens are on it.
• It forms the Hogenakkal falls on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
• It enters Tamil Nadu, where the Mettur Dam stores its water.
• At Tiruchirappalli, it forms the island of Srirangam and divides into the Kaveri and the Kollidam (Coleroon).
• It forms a large, fertile delta in the Thanjavur region before entering the Bay of Bengal near Poompuhar.
• Its length is about 800 km.

Kodagu (Coorg):

Kodagu is a hilly district of Karnataka known for coffee plantations, cardamom and pepper, and for the Kodava people, who have a strong martial tradition.

Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary:

The Brahmagiri hills are protected as a wildlife sanctuary, home to elephants, gaurs, tigers and many birds.

There is another Brahmagiri hill near Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra, which is linked with the source of the Godavari.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The Nilgiri hills are the source of rivers such as the Bhavani.
• ✗The Anamalai hills are in the southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• ✗The Baba Budan hills are in Chikkamagaluru district, known for the beginning of coffee cultivation in India.