Chamundi Hill is about 3,489ft. from the sea level, 13 km from Mysore city in Karnataka State, India. situated about just 11 KM from Mysore Palace, 10 km from Mysore zoo, 10 km from Lalitha Mahal Palace, 8.5 km from Melody World Wax Museum, 11 km from Karanji Lake, 3.1 km from Dodda Nandi Temple and 154 km from Bangalore
Chamundi Hills is famous not only in India but also abroad. A top of the hill the famous Sri Chamundeswari Temple. ‘Chamundi’ or ‘Durga’ is the fierce form of ‘Shakti’. She is the slayer of demons, ‘Chanda’ and ‘Munda’ and also ‘Mahishasura’, the buffalo-headed monster. The hill is An energetic visitor who will be well repaid by climbing up the 1000 steps, fashioned about 300 years ago, and a good motorable road leads to the top of the hill. The largest and the best known is the large Dravidian Temple, dedicates to Sri Chamundeshwari Devi, the tutelary deity of Mysuru and here royal house, generally regarded as an incarnation of Parvati or Durga.
One account claims that the Goddess slew two demons, Chanda and Munda, so winning for herself a name combined of both. But the more usually accepts version speaks of here as Chamundi – Mahishasura – Mardini, the slayer of the minotaur. She is, therefore, the household deity of the town named in (Maheshaputra) commemoration Maisa(buffalo), Uru(town) her image on the hill bestrides a lion and has twenty hands. It is said that Raja Wodeyar (about 1600 AD) intended to build a gopura, and for that purpose erected four large pillar posts, which were removed when the present gopura was built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. He built a gopura with golden finials and set up statues of himself and his 3 queens in the presence of the Goddess. In 1827 he made arrangements for festivals and processions.
Besides the Chamundi and the Mahabaleswara temples, there are a few more temples are at atop the hills. There are also some interesting spots and the monolith statue of ‘Nandi’ is among them. While proceeding towards the Chamundi Temple, the statue of ‘Mahishasura’ attracts the visitors. The ‘Chamundi Village’ is located close to the temple.
Besides the Chamundeswari temple, one can see Mahabaladri, Narayanaswamy temples, and Mahishasura and Nandi statues, there are a few other interesting spots on the Chamundi Hills. Among them, the Lalith Palace is one built on the hill-top and it belongs to the Mysuru royal family. The Maharajas were making a short stay in this Palace whenever they paid to visit the hills. it offers an attractive bird’s eye view of Mysuru city and far off places. Lalithadri Palace was built during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.
Darshan Timings:
7:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Utsavas and Jatras of the Temple
- Sri Chamundeswari Birthday Ashadakrishna saptami day
- Sri Chamundeswari Shainotsava Asvauja Krishna tritiya
- Sri Chamundeswari mudi utsava Asvauja Krishna Panchami day
- Sri Chamundeswari vasantotsava Chaitrapadya day
- Sri Chamundeswari Dasara Utsavas Asvauja Sukla Padya to Dasami day (9 days)
- Sri Chamundeswari Kritikotsava Kartika Poornima day
- Sri Chamundeswari Kotarotsava Pusyamasa 4 th day
- Sri Chamundeswari Rathotsava Asvayuja Poornima day (morning)
- Sri Chamundeswari Teppotsava Asvauja Krishna Dvitiya (Evening)
- Sri Mahabaleswara Rathotsava Palgunaksirhna sresti
- Uttanahalaii jwalamuki temple jatra Magamasa 3rd Sunday.