Elevation: 2500 ft.
Part 1. Chamundeswari Temple
We ventured to Mysore this past weekend. Mysore is about 90 miles southwest of Bangalore, although actual travel time on the deathtraps. . .errrr roads is about three hours.
Mysore is named after the mythical location of Mahisuru, where the goddess Chamundi slew the demon Mahishasura. The Mysore dynasty was founded in 1399 by the ruling Wodeyars, who ruled the region until Indian Independence from Britain in 1947.
Our first stop was Chamundeswari Temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 8 miles from Mysore's city center. If you look really closely at the below photo you can just see it off in the distance at the highest point on the hill.
The temple was named after Chamundeswari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity/goddess held in reverence for centuries by the Mysore Maharajas.
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. Of course we walked the 1000 steps. You have to.
There is a huge granite Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva) on the 800th step on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long. It's quite impressive knowing it was carved out a solid piece of rock.
Climbing the final 200 steps gets you up to the temple itself. The temple has a seven story tall gopuram (gateway tower) decorated with intricate carvings. The idol of the Chamunda Devi is said to be made of solid gold and the temple gates made of silver. They wouldn't let us touch them of course. The actual temple is really small, and they do not allow cameras (or shoes!) inside, as the goddess is not to be photographed. They shuffle people through fairly quickly; the whole temple experience probably took all of 10 minutes.
Important safety tip: be very careful where you step in your barefeet between the shoe kiosk (Rs 6 per pair of shoes. about a penny). You know. . .because of all the cows and what they leave behind.
Monkeys perched on temple ledges. I think this says it all: I am indeed somewhere in southeast asia and somewhere very far from home.
Another example of the local fauna which inhabit the temple grounds. This little one was easily the cutest one of the day. Yes, there are cows everywhere.
And at every even remotely-touristy location there is the inevitable local bazaar that seems to sprout up: local artists and entrepeneurs exhibiting and selling their wares. Us white folk are pursued quite aggressively at times. You don't dare buy anything, lest you be beseiged by every other merchant until you jump back into the car.
And finally. . .this merchant didn't get the translation quite right, but you still understand what he's peddlin'. No, I didn't have enough courage to give his concoction a try.
To be continued. . .
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