TempleFree entry

Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

#7of 8 places to visit in MysuruMysuru, Karnataka

Also known as Sri Chamundeshwari Temple · Chamundi Betta

Quick answer

Opening hours: 07:30–14:00 and 15:30–18:00 and 19:30–21:00. Entry is free. Allow 2 hrs. Best time: 07:30–09:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Saravana Kumar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 07:30–21:00
Entry fee: Free
Time needed: 2 hrs
Best time of day: 07:30–09:00
Best months: Oct – Mar
Address: Chamundi Hill, Mysuru, Karnataka 570010

About Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

Chamundi Hills rises to about 1,062 metres (3,489 feet) above sea level, 13 kilometres southeast of central Mysuru, and the Chamundeshwari Temple at its summit has served as the tutelary shrine of the Wadiyar dynasty for centuries. The temple honours Chamundeshwari as Mahishasura Mardini, the form in which the goddess is said to have slain the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, a myth locally tied to the very name Mysuru (Mahishuru, “town of Mahisha”). A colossal stone statue of the demon, sword and cobra in hand, stands near the temple's approach, erected in 1926 as a fixed point for photographs long before it became one. Halfway up the hill's stepped pilgrim path stands a monolithic Nandi bull, 4.9 metres tall and 7.6 metres long, carved in 1659 under Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar and still adorned with a bell pendant carved from the same granite block.

Best time of day: 07:30–09:00. On a weekday, avoiding both the Friday rush and the tour-bus arrivals that build through late morning.

Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple timings

Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple is open 07:30–14:00, 15:30–18:00 and 19:30–21:00. The weekend is no different: Saturday and Sunday follow the same times.

Opening hours: 07:30–21:00; Mon–Sun 07:30–14:00 and 15:30–18:00 and 19:30–21:00
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	07:30–14:00 and 15:30–18:00 and 19:30–21:00

Good to know: Abhishekam (ritual bathing of the deity) runs 06:00–07:30 and 18:00–19:30 daily, shifting to 05:00–06:30 on Fridays, the temple's most crowded weekly darshan day.

Opening hours compiled from mysore.nic.in and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple ticket price

Entry fees for Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	Free
Foreign visitors	Free
Children	Free
Camera	Free

General darshan is free of charge as of 2026. A special-entry ticket costs ₹30 per person and a VIP darshan ticket costs ₹100 per person, both reducing queue time considerably on weekends and during Navaratri. Photography of the sanctum idol itself is prohibited; free meals (annadana) are served daily from 12:30 to 14:30.

Prices compiled from mysore.nic.in and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

Moderate
Busy
Very busy

07:30–09:00
Morning DarshanBest time to go
Regular devotees dominate the early queue; tour buses have not yet arrived, and abhishekam viewing is still possible from the outer hall.
Moderate
09:00–13:00
Tour Group Peak
Coach tours combine the temple with the Nandi statue and viewpoint stop; queues at the main sanctum lengthen substantially.
Busy
15:30–18:00
Afternoon Reopening
Crowds rebuild after the midday closure, with a mix of pilgrims and sunset-seeking visitors.
Moderate
Fridays, all day
Weekly Peak
The goddess's dedicated weekly day draws the heaviest local pilgrim traffic; queues can exceed an hour even outside festival season.
Very busy

History of Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

Krishnaraja Wodeyar III sponsored major renovations to the Chamundeshwari Temple in the early nineteenth century, adding a gold-plated seven-tier gopura tower over the main sanctum and, in 1843, donating a lion sculpture that still stands within the temple courtyard. Two smaller temples sit nearby: the Narayanaswamy temple and the Mahabaleshwara temple, the latter considerably older than the main Chamundeshwari shrine, with an inscription recording a donation from the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana dated to 1128 CE.

The hill's pilgrim path, roughly 1,000 stone steps from the base at Uttanahalli, predates the modern motorable road and remains in active use by devotees who climb it as an act of devotion rather than convenience. The Wadiyar dynasty's ceremonial connection to the temple persists today in the Mysuru Dasara festival, whose religious observances trace symbolically back to Chamundeshwari's victory over Mahishasura.

Rules & etiquette at Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

A dress code applies at the inner sanctum — shorts and sleeveless tops are turned away — and enforcement is stricter here than at most temples in the city, given the shrine's status as the royal family's own deity. Footwear comes off well before the temple entrance, at shoe-storage counters charging a small fee, rather than immediately outside the sanctum door.

Touts near the base of the hill and around the parking area sometimes offer unofficial “special darshan” access at inflated prices; the only legitimate special-entry and VIP tickets are sold at counters inside the temple complex itself. Friday queues, tied to the day's significance for the goddess, regularly exceed an hour, and Navaratri and Dasara season (September–October) multiply that wait considerably.

Tips for visiting Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

1
Driving up the paved road takes about 20 minutes from the city centre and saves the stepped climb entirely, though walking the roughly 1,000-step pilgrim path from Uttanahalli — passing the monolithic Nandi at around step 800 — remains a popular devotional and physical challenge for fitter visitors. Photography of the deity idol itself is prohibited inside the sanctum, but the giant Mahishasura statue near the approach and the hilltop views over Mysuru city are unrestricted and are the most-photographed spots on the hill.
2
Sunset from the hilltop viewpoint gives a wide view over the city and, on clear days, as far as the Brindavan Gardens direction to the northwest. Combine the visit with a stop at a roadside stall selling Mysuru's characteristic fried snacks on the drive back down, a common local habit rather than a tourist-trail suggestion.

How to reach Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

The red star is Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple; the numbered pins are the 6 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Chamundi Hill, Mysuru, Karnataka 570010Directions in Google Maps

From Mysore Palace
₹350–₹450
13 km · 25–30 min
Round-trip auto-rickshaw, negotiated); KSRTC city bus available from City Bus Stand for around ₹25 one-way
From Mysuru Junction Railway Station (MYS)
₹400–₹500
13.2 km · 25–30 min
Round-trip cab
From Mysore Airport / Mandakalli (MYQ)
₹350–₹450
14.6 km · 30 min
Prepaid cab

Nearest airport

From Mysore Airport / Mandakalli (MYQ)

14.6 km, 30 minutes.

Nearest railway station

From Mysuru Junction (MYS)

13.2 km, 25–30 minutes.

Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple FAQs

Is there an entry fee for Chamundeshwari Temple?

No, general darshan is free as of 2026. Optional special-entry (₹30) and VIP (₹100) tickets are available at counters inside the temple complex to reduce queue time.

Can visitors walk up the hill instead of driving?

Yes, a stepped pilgrim path of roughly 1,000 stone steps runs from the base at Uttanahalli, passing a 1659 monolithic Nandi statue partway up. Driving the paved road takes about 20 minutes and is the far more common option.

Is photography allowed inside the temple?

Not of the deity idol inside the sanctum, where photography is prohibited. The giant Mahishasura statue near the entrance and the hilltop viewpoint over Mysuru are both freely photographable.

Which day has the longest queues at Chamundeshwari Temple?

Friday, the goddess's dedicated weekly day, when queues regularly exceed an hour even outside festival season. Navaratri and the Dasara festival in September–October extend that wait considerably further.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places