Chamundi Hills In Mysoree

If you are in the city of Mysore and want to check out the best tourist destinations of the city then one of the options in my opinion that should not be skipped out is Chamundi Hills. The famous Chamundi hills of Mysore are located towards the outskirts of the city, which can be seen while driving in the city even when you are 8 to 10 Kms away from the destination. From the heart of the city, you'll have to cover a distance of about 3 Kms to reach these hills. The Chamundi hills are reported to be located at an altitude of about 1065 meters above the level of sea and around 800 Ft above from the city.

The Chamundeshwari temple on the Chamundi hills

Basically, the Chamundi hills are an important tourist destination of Mysore not only because of its picturesque beauty but also because of presence of the famous Chamundeshwari Temple on there. It is believed that the origin of this temple was seen in somewhere around the 11th century. The temple is believed to be built in honor of an incarnation Goddess Parvathi who was named as Goddess Chamundeshwari. She was that incarnation who was born to show demon king 'Mahishasura' his life's end.

Legend behind the name of the city Mysore

People believe that the Mysore city derives its name from two eminent names and one significant factor which was dominant here. People there believe that it was goddess Chamundi and demon Mahishasura whose names contribute towards the origin of the name Mysore. The factor which played a significant role in the derivation of this name were the maharajas who ruled the city.

Contribution of Mysore Kings towards the Chamundeshwari temple

The city was under the kingship of Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar from the year 1659 to 1673. This king had a strong belief in the Chamundi Devi temple so he ordered 1000 steps of granite stone to be carved out to make a grand entrance of the temple. The presence of these magnificently carved granite steps made the journey of the pilgrims to the temple quite easy. The soft hearted king also believed to have donated around 63 houses to caretakers and Brahmins of the temple just at the foot of the hills. This place was given the name of Devarajapura. Further King Krishnaraja Wodeyar III contributed the splendid Gopuram to the temple. Other contributions of the kings were mortar statue of Mahishasura, Lalithadri, Monolith Nandi Statue, Lord Shiva's Vehicle, Devikola, etc.

In all, there are enough places and spots for tourists to admire. Moreover, the road connecting to the foot of the hill is smooth and wide which makes the journey to the hills quite easy. The state transport has also contributed a lot in terms of easy and affordable conveyance to the destination. So if you are planning a trip to Mysore don't forget to make Chamundi hills a part of your trip.