Chamudeshwari Vardhanti Utsava
The Chamundeshwari Temple is a
Hindu temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills. Chamundeshwari is called by
the people of Karnataka as Naada Devathe
which means State Goddess.
Significance
The Chamundeshwari Temple is
considered as a Shakti Peetha and one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. It is
known as Krouncha Pitha as the region
was known in Puranic times as Krouncha
Puri. It is said that the hair of Sati Devi fell here.
History and Later
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. At the temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). There is a huge granite Nandi on the 700th step on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple a short distance away.
Dedicated to the Goddess
Chamundeshwari (Chamundi), deity of the Mysore Royal Family and Mysore as well,
this temple is about 1000 steps from the foot of the hill. The goddess is
seated on a lion, killing the demon with her ‘trishul’.
In 1827, Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
renovated the temple. It was during his reign when the imposing entrance to the
temple was built. Krishnaraja Wodeyar also presented a lion shaped vehicle to
the temple, called as ‘Simha-vahana’
along with various other vehicles which are now used for religious and temple
processions.
Seen from all the corners of Mysore, Chamundi Hills stand majestically.