By: Yuliani Nursyahri
Chamundi Hill, situated at about 1074 m above mean sea level, in Mysore, is a highly esteemed religious centre. The hill was originally called as Mahabala or Marbala Betta after the Mahabaleshwara Temple. Butafter the popularity of the Chamundeshwari Temple from the 16th century, it came to be called as the Chamundi Hill.
Chamundeshwarl Temple
Legend has it that Goddess Chamundeshwari (also known as Chamundi), the tutelary deity of the royal` Wadiyars, slew the buffalo headed demon Mahishasuraand saved the people of the area.
The temple is dedicated to the Goddess, with the original image believed to have been installed by the Hoysalas. A motorable road, besides a flight of one thousand steps, lead to the summit of the hill where the visitors are greeted by the colourful image of Mahishasura. The temple is a quadrangular structure and has a seven storeyed pyramidal gopura and small shrines dedicated to the Lords, Ganesha and Anjaneya. The temple also has the Nakshatra-Malike, a jewel with 30 Sanskrit shlokas inscribed on it. Near the temple is the Devikola, a tank where the teppotsava (raft float festival) is held in October-November.
Reaching there :
By Air: Bangalore – 180 km
By Rail: Mysore
By Road: Bangalore – 140 km, Mysore – 12 km
