Chamundeshwari Temple
The top of Chamundi Hills (which is 13 km away from Mysore lying in the state of Karnataka) is the residence of Chamundeshwari Temple. This temple is worshipped and visited in the honour of Goddess Chamundi. Goddess Kali is also termed as Goddess Chamundi. Goddess Chamundi is the manifestation of Goddess Durga. Another name of this Devi is Mahishasura Mardini. The meaning of the word Chamundi is ‘terrible’. This temple is the holy place of Hindus. The style of architecture followed while designing the temple is Dravidian. The decoration of the temple is done in a richly manner. It is believed that the idol of Devi is powerful. It entails splendid tower which adds to the beauty of the temple. It is the strong belief of the aficionados that the Mata helps them for gratifying their all sorts of requirements.
Getting There
One can reach Mysore by mean of three modes: road, rail and air. There is a good bus network for reaching towards Mysore. The journey of Mysore is carried out by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation which provides different types of buses like Volvo, Private A/C and Deluxe buses. The journey through rail is carried out by Mysore railway station. The journey through air can be carried through Mandakalli airport and Bangalore International Airport. After reaching Mysore one can reach the shrine by hiring bus and taxi.
Security And Some Tips
For the purpose of security there are security guards who are meant for crowd management and securing the belongings of the devotees. There are 58 CCTV cameras installed within the temple premises for keeping a keen eye on each and every activity of devotee. Metal detectors are installed within the temple premises for preventing the devotees to carry out any unwanted material like knife, gun and bomb. Devotees should not carry cash and ornaments with them. They should keep their luggage at safe and secure place.
When To Visit
The best time to visit the shrine is during the day of Tuesday and Friday and during the month of October and March. It is opened all the days of the week. The timings are: 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM and 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM. There is no entry fee for visiting the shrine. The duration of visiting the shrine is 1 to 2 hours.
What To See And Do
To reach the temple one has to cross 1000 steps. The shrine consists of ‘gopuram’ which is seven storied and has a height of 40 metre. The gates of the shrine are made up of silver. The sanctum is decorated with jewel Nakshatra-Malike having the inscription of 30 Sanskrit shlokas. The main centre of attraction is its presiding deity which is made of solid gold. The deity is decorated with the garlands of skulls. There is an idol of Mahishasura which has the height of 16 feet. There is another centre of attraction of this temple which is the idol of Nandi having the height of 25 feet and is made up of big granite stone. Laddu is distributed as Prasad.
Where to Stay
There are many youth hostels and dharamshalas where Yatris can have their stay at reasonable price. They are: KSS Hostel, Hostel Garden, NIE Girls Hostel, Vishwa Manava International Hostel, Muslim Boys Hostel, Boys Hostel NIE and Sindhi Dharamshala etc.
Where Else To Stay
There are many hotels in Mysore which provide luxury to yatris. These hotels are: Aishwarya Residency, The Beautifully Restored Mansion, Ajantha Palace, Ashraya Hotel and Amblee Holiday Resort-Srirangapatnam etc.
Festivals
The festival of dusshera is celebrated in this temple with full devotion and joy. The other feativals which are celebrated here are: Rathotsava and Theppotsava.
Side Trips
There are many places to visit around Chamundeshwari Temple. These places are Karanji Nature Park, Rajendra Kala Mandir, Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple, Ramalingeshwara Temple, Sri Dutta Vanketshwara Temple and Sri Ayappa Swami Temple etc.
Travel Tips
Yatris should take a personal diary with them in order to have a written record of the whole visit. Yatris should also hire a tourist guide to have the complete knowledge of the temple including its history. They should also take first aid in order to cure frequent injury.
Thus, a journey to this shrine is a devotional tour meant for fulfilling the needs of the devotees.
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