Chamundeshwari Hills lie at a height of about 1000 metres above sea level and are 13 km east of Mysuru. Chamundeshwari Temple is dedicated to the Goddess after whom the hills are named is the highlight of this place.
According to popular legends, many years ago, a buffalo demon named Mahishasura was wreaking havoc in heaven and earth. He had been gifted a boon by Brahma that he could be killed by no man.
For this reason, Mahishasura was slowly winning every battle he started. The Gods found a loophole to Brahma’s boon and goddess Durga was given divine powers to make her stronger than Mahishasura.
Goddess Chamundeshwari is a form of Durga. With her new powers and a lion as her vehicle, she fought Mahishasura atop a hill for ten days and finally killed him.
In her honour, the hill was named as Chamundi Hill. This day is celebrated throughout India as Dasara and symbolises the victory of good over evil.
The Chamundeshwari Temple is the biggest attraction of this area. This temple sits on the top of the main hill and can be reached by a series of 1,008 stone stairs. The temple houses a statue of Mahishasura with a sword in one hand and a cobra in the other.
A sculpted statue of Chamundeshwari sits in the temple’s sanctum. The Goddess is portrayed in a cross-legged posture with her right heel pressed against the 7th chakra. It is believed that anyone who can master this yogic posture will have a deeper insight into the universe.
This is one of the oldest icons of Mysuru. Halfway up the hill is a statue of a bull. This is Nandi, Shiva’s vehicle. The statue is 7.6 m long and 4.9 m tall. It is carved out of single black granite rock. This status was commissioned by Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar and portrays the Nandi bull in a seated position with the left foreleg folded upwards as if the bull were about to get up.
Mysuru Palace, Shrirangapattana, KRS Dam are the near by places one can visit during Chamundi Hills trip. It can be visited throughout the year.
