During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport. That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’t ju
Mysore city may owe its grandeur to the Wodeyars, but the
town has a history that long precedes them. Legends tell us that this was where
the goddess Chamundeshwari trounced the terrible demon, Mahishasura. The city
itself takes its name from that of the demon, since it was he who ruled it
first. And it is him we see first as we arrive at the top of Chamundi Hills, at
the temple of the goddess.
This is also one among the 51 Shakti Peethas – sacred
shrines dedicated to the goddess, believed to mark the 51 spots where body
parts of Sati or Dakshayani fell, as Shiva danced the terrible Tandava, filled
with grief and anger at her death. It is
believed that this is the spot where Sati’s hair fell.
Historically, the first temple here is said to have been
built by the Hoysala rulers in the 12th century, and the tower or
gopuram is said to have been added during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire
in the 17th century. It must have been a difficult task to climb the
hill in those days, and the 1000 steps which help us ascend the hillock were
built in the same period, around 1659. The present temple owes itself to the
Wodeyars, having been extensively renovated by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in 1827.
The main deity here is Chamundeshwari, seen seated in a yogic
posture, serene and peaceful.
This is a temple much visited by locals and tourists alike,
and it can get really crowded on weekends. People come from far and wide, not just
for the blessings of the goddess, but also for the beautiful views of the city
that the hill’s vantage position offers!
Besides, there is also the Nandi, which is a prime
attraction here!
Nandi, or the Bull, is the vehicle of Lord Shiva, and he
stands outside a small cave shrine of the lord.
Carved out of a single black stone, at a height of 15 ft and
a length of 25 ft, he towers over everything else here.
It’s not just the size, but the detail, which captures our
attention…
It is believed that the Nandi was installed around the same
time as the steps were built, by the then ruler, Doddaraja Wodeyar.
These aren’t the only temples on this sacred hill. There is
another, ancient temple to Lord Shiva, and also another temple to the goddess
at the foothills, but since we weren’t aware of them earlier, I guess I will
just have to make another trip to Mysore!
Information:
Chamundi Hills is located at a distance of 13 Km from Mysore city.
You can choose either to climb the hill using the 1000 steps built in
the 17th century, or you can take the road, which leads you right to
the temple. And yes, there are people who choose to walk on the road, rather
than climb the steps! The area is quite peaceful and still quite green, which
adds to the attraction of the walking / climbing path. For those who can’t or don’t
want to, there are, of course, buses and other vehicles.
There are frequent buses from the city bus stand taking you to Chamundi
Hills. They drop you at a short distance from the temple, but to visit the
Nandi, you have to make a detour, climbing down the steps. The bus does not
take you there.
Most people hire cars and combine the temple with a sightseeing tour of
the city. Plenty of autos are also available for the journey.
Avoid Fridays and weekends to visit the temple, as it can get really
crowded. If you have no choice, try to visit the temple as early as possible,
before the crowds arrive. There are special entry tickets available which help
you jump the queue, but even this can entail a long wait once the crowd turns
up.
Nandi (the Basawa) is grand. I loved the photographs. During our visit we seem to have confined ourselves to Chamundeshwari temple. Nndi escaped our attention.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of this Nandi since childhood. We were actually planning to take a bus, but took an auto instead, just because I wanted to go see the Nandi, and wasnt in the mood to walk :D its truly beautiful!
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ReplyDeleteI had been there when I was a kid, but don't remember anything other than that! These pictures are superb. The work on gopuram is so artistic. And that of Nandi too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anu! This was my first visit to Mysore, and I had been anticipating it for a long time... maybe you should go again, and see what you make of it now!
DeleteLove the photos. Brings back great memories of my travels in India.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Richard!!
DeleteI was just stunned by the finesse and the fine artistry in and around the hills. I missed the Nandi sadly :( . However, I do hope I get back to Mysore soon just to check it out. Meanwhile, the aerial view of Mysore from the hills is amazing. The photo of the palace made me just say, "Wow!" Incredible photography!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Akshay.The place is really beautiful, isnt it? I simply love Mysore. and there is always next time for the nandi!
DeleteCan we climb the steps any time of d day.. Is it safe
ReplyDeleteYes, you can climb steps any time of the day, though it will be too hot in the afternoon. as for safety, it depends. weekends there might be many people, though most prefer to take vehicles to the top.
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