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Showing posts from August 31, 2016


Temples and Sacred Places atop Chamundi Hill in Mysore

Chamundi Hill is located around 15 km from Mysore. The main temple located atop the hill is the famous Chamundeshwari Temple. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari, a manifestation of Goddess Durga who slew the demon Mahishasura. This shrine was built during the 12th century AD. She is the tutelary deity of the kings of Mysore. Apart from the Hindu gods and goddesses, there are statues of kings and queens in the temple. There are 1000 steps leading to the shrine. The oldest temple on the hill is known as Mahabaleshwara Temple and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was built during 950 AD.  The hill itself is known as Mahabaladri. The most striking image on the hill is that of Nandi, the vahana of Shiva. It is located three quarters on the way to the top at the 800 th step. The Nandi figure is nearly 15ft high and 24 ft long (4.2 X 7.2 m).