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Durga temples in Mysore
दुर्गा
In Mysore Durga goes by another name: Chamundeshwari, the goddess on Chamundi Hill, about 13 km from the city. By tradition she killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura on this hill, and the city is named after him, Mahishuru, "the place of Mahisha". Both places on the list stand on the summit, a few steps apart, but only Chamundeshwari is the goddess's temple; Mahabaleshwara beside it is a Shiva temple. The wider guide to the city's temples is on the [Mysore temples page](/en/mysore/temples/).
Durga
The warrior goddess and the face of Shakti, the energy from which everything is born; often seen as the fierce form of Parvati.
Why Durga is Chamundeshwari here
Durga is the warrior face of Shakti, the energy from which everything is born. The gods could not defeat the buffalo demon, so each gave her a weapon and she rode out on a lion; Navratri retells the battle over nine nights. Chamunda is the name of her fiercest form, the one that kills the demon generals Chanda and Munda; here she presides as Chamundeshwari.
On Chamundi Hill this is not abstract theology. The goddess was the family deity of the Wodeyar kings for centuries, Karnataka calls her Nada Devi, the goddess of the land, and a statue of Mahishasura stands on the way to the temple. In the sanctum she has eight arms. The temple counts among the 18 Shakti Peethas, the great seats of the goddess, as Krouncha Peetha. More about Durga herself: Durga.
The goddess's temple and its older neighbour
Chamundeshwari: the goddess's own temple
The shrine is thought to go back to the Hoysalas in the 12th century; Krishnaraja Wodeyar III repaired it in 1827 and raised the present seven-tier gopura (gateway tower). This is where the queue is. General darshan is free, and paid special-darshan queues are faster, though the difference is not always large: look at the lines before paying. Darshan hours are in the card above; details on queues, tickets and getting up the hill are on the Chamundeshwari Temple page.
Mahabaleshwara: Shiva's temple, older than the goddess's
A small Shiva temple a few steps behind the main square, dated by inscriptions to around 950 CE and credited by tradition to the Ganga kings. It was the hill's first sanctuary, and the hill was called Mahabaladri after it before the Wodeyars made the goddess famous. It is Shiva's temple, not a Durga temple; it is on this list because it shares the summit with Chamundeshwari. No ticket, shoes off at the door, and usually few people about.
✅ The goddess's year on Chamundi Hill
Dates from the India GO festival calendar.
- Navratri and Mysuru Dasara, 11–21 October 2026 — Dasara opens on the hill: on 11 October 2026, at 11:50, with a puja to Chamundeshwari at the temple. Through the nine nights the image in the sanctum is dressed in nine different ways, one for each form of the goddess, and on the seventh day the jewels given by the maharajas come up from the district treasury. On Vijayadashami, 21 October, she rides through the city in the golden howdah of the Jamboo Savari. In 2027 Dasara is expected from 30 September to 9 October. See Mysuru Dasara.
- Ashada Fridays, July to early August — The monsoon month of Ashada is the temple's own peak: Fridays are held especially auspicious, and in 2026 the hill saw 8.61 lakh (861,000) visitors in 13 days. The same month brings Chamundi Jayanti, when the festival image is carried around the temple in a golden palanquin.
Going up the way pilgrims do
The road reaches the top, but the old way up is the stairway of 1,008 stone steps, laid in 1659. Many pilgrims climb barefoot and press a dab of kumkum (red powder) onto each step; by afternoon the whole stair is red. If you climb in shoes, keep off the marks. About halfway stands a Nandi, Shiva's bull, carved from one block of black granite. Start before sunrise and carry water: the stone heats up, and the queue at the top grows all morning. During Dasara and on Ashada Fridays, expect the hill to be very crowded.
❓ FAQ
Which is the famous Durga temple in Mysore?
The Chamundeshwari temple on Chamundi Hill, about 13 km from the city. Chamundeshwari is a form of Durga and the presiding goddess of Mysore.
How old is the Chamundi temple?
The original shrine is thought to date from the 12th century, under the Hoysalas; the gopura is from 1827. The Mahabaleshwara temple beside it is older, around 950 CE.
Are the Chamundi Hill temples free?
Yes: the Mahabaleshwara temple and general darshan at Chamundeshwari are free. Only the faster special-darshan queues at Chamundeshwari are paid.
When is Mysuru Dasara 2026?
11–21 October 2026, with the Jamboo Savari procession on Vijayadashami, 21 October.
Is Chamundeshwari a Shakti Peeth?
It is counted among the 18 Shakti Peethas, as Krouncha Peetha; by tradition the hair of Sati fell here.