Chamundeshwari Temple

Chamundeshwari Temple
The gopura
Location in Karnataka
Geography
Coordinates	12°16′21″N 76°40′14″E / 12.272474°N 76.670611°E / 12.272474; 76.670611Coordinates: 12°16′21″N 76°40′14″E / 12.272474°N 76.670611°E / 12.272474; 76.670611
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Mysore
Locale	Chamundi Hill
Culture
Sanctum	Chamundeshwari
Major festivals	Navaratri

The Chamundeshwari Temple is a Hindu temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka in India.^[1] The temple was named after Chamundeshwari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by Mysore Maharajas.

Chamundeshwari is called by the people of Karnataka as Naada Devathe which means State Goddess

Krouncha Peetham

The Chamundeshwari Temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha and one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. It is known as Krouncha Pitham as the region was known in Puranic times as Krouncha Puri. It is said that the hair of Sati Devi fell here.

Description

The original shrine is thought to have been built in the 12th century by Hoysala rulers while its tower was probably built by the Vijayanagar rulers of the 17th century. In 1659, a flight of one thousand steps was built leading up to the 3000 foot summit of the hill.^[2] At the temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). There is a huge granite Nandi on the 800th step on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple a short distance away. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long and around its neck are exquisite bells

• 
  The garden
• 
  Main entrance
• 
  Lakshmi Narayana Swami Temple
• 
  At night

This Mysuru Chamundeshwari temple is famous for the celebrations of festivals like Aashada Shukravara,Navarathri(also known as Naada Habba Dasara) and Ammanavara Vardhanthi. On the auspesious day of Aashada friday lakhs together devotees throng to chamundi hill. People start climbing the hill on previous day itself to take darshan. Following at the same aashada month there will be celebration of Jayanti(birthday) of Chamundi. This day is celebrated in remembrance of installation of uthsava murthy of goddess by Maharaja of Mysore on Revathy Nakshatra day. On this ocuation Goddess idol is taken around the temple on golden pulaquin. Another famous featival is Dasara. This Dasara is also known as Naada Habba means state festival of Karnataka.

On this Navaratri(Dasara) festival Goddess is decorated in 9 different alankaras. On the 7th day of Navaratri that is Kaalaratri, valuable jewels donated by Maharajas are brought from the District treasury of Mysuru and decorated to Chamundi.

One main thing to say is that we can find the place where Goddess Chamundi killed Mahishasura, where we can find the foot prints of mahisharura(which is like a gaint foot print), a he buffalo and Loin(vehicle of Chamundi) on the huge rock which is situated deep inside the forest of hill. Hence everyone cannot go there.

Another temple is situated at the foot hill which is in Utthanahalli called as Jwalamuki Shri Tripurasundari Temple. This goddess is known as sister of Chamundi who helped her at the battele feild to slay the deamon Rakthabeejasura, by drinking his blood which when falls down on the earth would produce thousands of deamons. So according to the puranas chamundi gave place to her sister a small hillock named Ramadevara gudda, which is at East-South direction of Chamundi hill and said that to visit Chamundi Temple after visiting her sister's temple at Utthanahalli.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chamundeshwari Temple.

• "Nam Chamundi Betta, a website specially dedicated to Chamundi Hill, Mysore".
• "Namma Mysore - Famous Temples: The Chamundeshwari Temple". www.nammamysore.com. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
• Sree Chamundeeswari of Mysore
• Mysore Temple dedicated to Sri Chamundeswari
• Mysore Nature | Chamundi Hill Reserve Forest
• Chamundi hill map
• Official website