Sri Chamundeshwari Temple - Karnataka | History, Significance, and Festivities

Important information

Address : Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hill, Mysuru, Karnataka, India - 570010.
Open and Close Timings : 07.30 am till 02:00 pm, 03.30 pm till 06:00 pm and 07.30 pm till 09:00 pm from Monday till Saturday. On Sundays timing is from 07.30 am till 06:00 pm and 07.30 pm till 09:00 pm.
Nearest Railway Station: Mysore Railway Station at a distance of nearly 13.3 kilometres from Sri Chamundeshwari Temple.
Nearest Airport: Mysuru Airport Bengaluru at a distance of nearly 13.9 kilometres from Sri Chamundeshwari Temple.
Did you know: It is believed that Goddess Durga killed the demon king Mahishasura on the top of this hill.

Chamundeshwari Temple is a famous Hindu temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills, about 13 km from Mysore city in the Indian state of Karnataka. This temple is named after Goddess Chamundeshwari, who is considered to be the fierce form of Shakti and has been the patron goddess worshipped by the Maharajas of Mysore for centuries.

People of Karnataka call Chamundeshwari as Nada Devi, which means state goddess. This temple is located at an altitude of about 3300 feet above sea level. It is believed that Goddess Durga killed the demon king Mahishasura on the top of this hill. For this reason, this place came to be called Mahisuru after the name of Mahishasura, which was changed to Mysore by the British.

Chamundeshwari Temple: This temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old. This temple houses the idol of Goddess Durga. Various rulers like Hoysalas, Vijayanagara Empire and Mysore Wodeyars patronised this temple. The temple tower (Raja Gopura) was built by Krishna Raja Wodeyar III in 1830.

Mahishasura Statue: Visitors to Chamundi Hills are greeted by a huge statue of Mahishasura. This statue shows Mahishasura holding a snake and a sword. Legend has it that Goddess Durga brought relief to the people by killing this fearsome demon, hence she is also called Mahishasura Mardini (Goddess who killed Mahishasura).

Nandi Statue: On the way to Chamundi Hill, visitors can see a huge monolithic statue of Nandi. This statue is 15 feet high and 25 feet wide and is adorned with many ornaments around its neck. It is the largest statue of its kind. Though the original colour of the Nandi statue is white, it appears black due to the accumulation of oil.

View Point: Chamundi Hill offers a panoramic view of the Mysore city and is a major tourist attraction.

Krauncha Peetha

Chamundeshwari Temple is considered a Shakti Peetha and one of the 18 Shakti Peethas. It is known as Krauncha Peetha because in mythological times this area was known as Krauncha Puri. It is believed that Sati's hair fell here, making this place extremely sacred.

History of the Temple

The original temple was built in the 12th century by the rulers of the Hoysala dynasty. The temple tower was constructed in the 17th century by the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. In 1659, a staircase of a thousand steps was built to reach the 3000-foot height of the hill. The temple complex has several images of Nandi (Shiva's vehicle). At the 700th step on the hill is situated a huge granite Nandi, which is 15 feet high and 24 feet long. It is believed to have been built in the 2nd century.

Major Festivals

Festivals like Asadha Fridays, Navratri and Ammanavar Vardhanti are celebrated with great pomp at the Chamundeshwari Temple. Fridays in the month of Asadha are considered especially auspicious and lakhs of devotees visit the temple on this occasion. Chamundi Jayanti is also celebrated during this month, which marks the anniversary of the consecration of the Utsava Murthi of the Goddess by the Maharaja of Mysore. On this occasion the idol of the Goddess is taken around the temple in a golden palanquin.

The festival of Navaratri holds special significance in this temple. Mysore Dussehra is celebrated as the state festival of Karnataka, called Nada Habba in Kannada. During Navaratri the idol is decorated in 9 different ways to depict the nine different forms of the Goddess known as Navadurga. On the seventh day of Navaratri, the worship of Goddess Kalaratri takes place and precious ornaments donated by the Maharajas are used to adorn the idol on this day.

Other Temples

At the foot of the hill in Uthanahalli lies another temple called Jwalamalini Sri Tripura Sundari Temple. This Goddess is believed to be the sister of Chamundeshwari who helped her on the battlefield to slay the demon Raktabeej.

Chamundeshwari Temple is not only important from the religious point of view but is also extremely important from the historical and cultural point of view, where millions of devotees and tourists visit every year.