Baba Budan

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Baba Budan was a 17th‑century Sufi saint from Karnataka. His shrine is at Baba Budangiri in the Chikkamagaluru district.

He is famous for bringing coffee to India. On his return from the Hajj in 1670, he is said to have carried seven raw coffee beans from the Yemeni port of Mocha, hiding them in his beard. At that time coffee was often exported roasted, so people couldn’t easily grow it themselves; he wanted to cultivate it at home.

Back in India, he planted the beans on the Chandradrona hills, and the range was later named Baba Budangiri after him, where his tomb can be visited. Some legends say he discovered coffee during a Mecca pilgrimage.