Chamundi Hills (Mysore)

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Chamundi Hills are located around 1000 meters above sea level.

Atop these hill is the famous Chamundeswari Temple and a few small temples and the Rajendra Palace. The Palace is closed to the public. The foothills of Chamundi are home to the famous Nandi temple, which has a huge statue of Nandi the Bull.

Neel and I had inquired with the locals here before boarding a bus to Chamundi Hills. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the top. Alternatively the top can also be reached via stairway.



Chamundeswari Temple

If you love trekking and climbing, like I do, then you need to take the stairway. There are 1511 stairs that you have to ascend in order to reach the top. As we were hard-pressed for time, we had to take the bus all the way up.

Once there, we saw that the number of devotees was increasing by the minute. Had we stood in the line it would be evening by the time we reached inside the temple premises. So we bought VIP tickets in order to enter the temple. When we got there, aarti, meaning prayers, was going on inside the temple.

The temple was painted in a shade of yellow and beautifully carved. On a serious note, I like the way the temples in the south are decorated with beautiful carvings.  



Mahishasura

The view from outside the temple is simply amazing. It offers a panoramic view of the city. One can see the race course, Lalitha Mahal Palace, Mysore Palace and Karanji and Kukkarahalli Lakes.

There is a huge statue of Mahishasura. Legend has it that the demon Mahishasura was killed by the goddess Chamundeswari, also known as Chamundi, after a fierce battle. So the hills were named Chamundi Hills and the temples built in her honor.  



Chamundeswari Temple

 On the way down, we saw a huge statue of Nandi the Bull. Later we headed off to see the world-famous Mysore Palace.