Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore Karnataka
The original temple of Chamundeshwari in Chamundi Hills was constructed by Hoysala rulers in the 12th century. The temple has a seven storey tall Gopura which is constructed in by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in 1827. A small idol of Lord Ganesha can be seen near the main gate.
Visitor Attractions of Chamundeshwari Temple
Located on top of the 3000 ft high Chamundi Hills, it takes 1000 steps to reach the Chamundeshwari Temple. A 16 foot high statue of Mahishasura, whom Goddess Chamundeswari killed to protect the people, can be seen near the temple.
On the 800th step of the Chamundi Hills is a huge granite Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva, on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple. The statue of Nandi, one of the largest statues in India, is around 24 feet long and more than 15 feet high. Nandi is adorned with magnificent pendent bells around its neck. The Nandi statue and the 1000 steps are built by Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar in 1659.
There are two other temples in Chamundi Hills - Shiva Mahabaleswara Temple and Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple.
Chamundeshwari Temple Pooja Timings
The temple opening and closing timings include
07.30 AM to 02.00 PM
03.30 PM - 06.00 PM
07.30 PM - 09.00 PM
Chamundeshwari Temple Festivals
The 10 days annual Dasara festival is celebrated here with much religious importance. Special prayers and chanting of Vedas are held at the temple on these days. Various music performances are also conducted. Ratholsavam or Car Festival is celebrated on the on the auspicious Ashwayuja Pournami, after the Dussehra Festival. The Theppotsava or floating festival will be held on this occasion.
The best time to visit the shrine is during the Mysore Dussehra Festival.
How to Reach Chamundeshwari Temple
Chamundeshwari Temple is around 13 km from Mysore. Regular buses are operated by Mysore Central Bus Stand to reach Chamundi Hills.
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