Chamundeshwari temple at Mysore

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

- Seneca

Chamundeshwari temple

The Chamundeshwari temple is located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysore. The temple was named after Chamundeshwari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by Mysore Maharajas.

The Chamundeeswari temple is located on a hill in the vicinity of Mysore and is accessed through a motorable road.

OVERVIEW:

Colourful statue of Mahishasura!

The temple has a very beautiful idol of the goddess wearing a garland of skulls. Chamundeeswari the tutelary deity of the Mysore Maharajas has been held in reverence for centuries, and the Wodeyars of Mysore have made extensive contributions to this shrine. The temple has always been patronised by the rulers of Mysore. In earlier days, the Maharajas of Mysore would ride the ceremonial Dasara elephant during the annual Dasara festival, but after India gained independence, the idol of Goddess Chamundi is taken on an elephant.

ETYMOLOGY:

Legend has it that that the demon Mahishasura, the king of the area that is currently Mysore, was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari (also Chamundi) after a fierce battle. The hills hence got their name and a temple of the goddess was built on the top. The goddess is also known as Mahishasura Mardini meaning She who slew Mahishasura.

Nandhi(Bull) statue at 800th step!

HISTORY:

My friend: Seetha

Thus much of the current temple is the result of renovation efforts carried out in early nineteenth century, although the original shrine is much older. Chamundi Hill has been associated with the Hoysala ruler Vishnu Vardhana (12th century) and with the Vijayanagar rulers of the 17th century.

Chamraja Wodeyar IV is said to have worshipped here in 1573 and was miraculously saved from a lightning hit. Krishnaraja III (late 18th century) built the temple tower and presented the Nakshatramalika jewel with sanskrit verses inscribed on it.

There a long stairway leading to the top of the hill. There are 1,511 steps in all, and climbing the first 400 or so steps takes some effort. En route to the top, the steps pass the large monolithic statue of Nandi the Bull. Nandi is the vehicle of Lord Shiva.

VISITING PLACES:

The top of the hill has a few attractions...

Temple Gali Gopuram

•  Chamundeeswari (or Durga) is the fierce form of Shakti who vanquished the demon Mahishasuran. A colorful image of the demon greets visitors as they reach the summit of the hill.
• Also on this temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). The best known of these is the collossal Nandi on the 800th step on the hill. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long. It was created during the reign of Dodda Devaraja, who also built the steps leading up the hill. This Bull is one of the biggest bull in India.
• There are also shrines dedicated to Shiva - Mahabaleshwar (attributed to Vishnu Vardhana the Hoysala ruler of the 12th century CE) and Lakshmi Narayana - Vishnu on this hill.

GETTING THERE:

• Mysore is a well connected city to Banglore and other major cities in India.
• There are regular buses plying to the Chamundi hills from the central bus stand.
• Climbing the steps of Chamundi Hills is a popular way, it takes between 15 to 30 minutes to climb depending on an individual's fitness levels.