Chamundi Hill, Mysore

It makes for a nice drive from Mysore. You will find one of the most popular temples in India here. Do check out the huge Nandi (Bull) statue on the way there.
The hill is at 1000 meters elevation. Legend has it that Mahishasura- a king of Mysore was killed by Goddess Chamundi here. The temple has the deity wearing a garland of skulls. The 'prashadh' of ladoo is yummy!

One of the main attractions in Mysore - Chamundi Hills, situated 3km southeast of the city, is topped with a temple to the chosen deity of the Mysore Rajas; the goddess Chamundi, or Durga, who slew the demon buffalo Mahishasura. It's a pleasant, easy bus trip to the top; the walk down, past a huge Nandi, Shiva's bull, takes about thirty minutes.
The forty-metregopura, at the entrance is an attraction to both the eyes & mind. A statue of the demon Mahishasura from whom the city got its name, attracts as soon as you are atop the hills. It mainly attracts the children for its colorfulness and its size.

Non-Hindus can also visit the twelfth-century temple. The idol of goddess Chamundi inside sanctorum sanctuary is solid gold. The magnificent five-metre Nandi, carved from a single piece of black-granite in 1659, is an object of worship himself, adorned with bells and garlands and tended by his own priest. Minor shrines, dedicated to Chamundi and Hanuman among others, line the side of the path .

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A clean chamundi hills campaign is being run to educate the people about the ravages of using environmentally hazardous substances like plastic.it promotes use of recyclable materials for use during travel to the chamundi hills so thst the surroundings remain free of litter.
the practical view however is that there is lot of littering by tourists to this beautiful hill.but this campaign is a small effort in the right direction in a environmentally not so conscious country like india.

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The Sri Chamundeswari Temple is located on top of picturesque Chamundi Hills some 13 KM away from Mysore. The temple has a seven stories tall and 40Mhigh Gopuram with intricate carvings. Major attraction of the temple is the idol of the Chamunda Devi which is said to be made of solid gold.

It was stated in the guide book that there is one huge statue of monster Mahishasura near the temple, but I can’t seem to spot it. May be most idols or statues here looks too similar to me?

After visiting the temple start back to the car park and look for the top of the stairway, marked by red-and-white striped stone posts and a sign proclaiming ‘Way of Bull’. It’s a pleasant walk down, there’s some shade on the way and the views over the city and surrounding countryside are superb.

Also on this temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva).
The best known of these is the colossal Nandi on the 800th step on the hill. This Nandi is over 4,50 m high and over 7 m long. It was created during the reign of Dodda Devaraja, who also built the steps leading up the hill.

There seems to be more hawkers per square inch here than anywhere. There is a great view, but the rest of Chamandi is more for the Hindu pilgrim than the tourist.

A local 335 mt high landmark ,Chamundi can be reached by road a 13 kms of bumpy road or by climbing the 1000 steps laid in the 17th century, the summit has panoramic veiws of the local countryside

To the south of the city is this great hill...you can walk up or there is a bus service. Great views from the top. There's a huge Nandi (bull) statue which was carved from granite.