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The city of Mysore abounds in temples reflecting the glory
of a religious past that the city of Mysore has witnessed. Consequently,
devotees and pilgrims from all over the country throng the city,
throughout the year.
Chamundi
Temple
Situated
on the heights of Chamundi Hills is the Chamundi Temple wherein the
sculpture of 'Nandi', the Bull is located. 'Nandi' denotes the vehicle of
Lord Shiva and is one of the seven bulls in the country. The temple has
large silver gates and golden idols. The hill gets its name from the
Goddess Kali or Chamundi, the consort of Shiva and she is the family deity
of the Maharajas of Mysore. The Chamundeswari Temple is a fine
quadrangular structure with a high 'gopuram' (tower) and 'dwara'
(entrance), which is a landmark visible from many miles away.
Shwetha Varahaswamy Temple
An example of Hoysala architecture, this temple is located near the
southern gateway of the Palace fort. Bearing an inscription to the effect
that it was the gift of Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar is the boar, the
processional image of the temple. In 1809 AD, the image was shifted to
Mysore and to the present temple by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.
Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple
Built in 1936, this is one of the old temples built in Vontikoppal on the
Mysore-Krishnarajasagar (Brindavan Gardens) Road. The temple, dedicated to
Lord Venkataramana, is visited by a large number of pilgrims, including
the transiting tourists. The idol was found at Thirumalasagar and later
shifted to Mysore by Chikkanna, a devotee of Lord Venkataramana, who
continued to manage it with a trust. The temple has a tall 'Garuda Khamba'
(flagstaff) and a chariot. Every year, grand celebrations for
'Brahmotsava' are conducted for 12 days.
Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple
This temple was recently built in the new Vijayanagar extension. It is a
beautiful architectural masterpiece with a well-carved idol of
Yoganarasimha. It is situated in a calm place in a serene surrounding. On
the occasion of Narasimha Jayanthi, elaborate worship is offered to the
deity in this temple, attracting a large number of people from all over
the city.
Chandramouleswara Temple
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Chandramouleswara Temple is an old temple in
V.V.Mohalla extension of city of Mysore. Popularly known as the Eswara
Temple, the temple was built on a site granted by the then Dewan of
Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail. A group of devotees built a small temple and
consecrated it in 1942. The idols of Shiva and Parvathi are installed in
this temple, which is also a venue for religious discourses. A tall 62
feet tower was consecrated in 1997.
Billiranga Swamy Temple
The Biligiriranga Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is situated amid
thick forests of teak, sandalwood and other valuable trees on top of the
Biligirirangana Betta Hills at an altitude of 1566 metres. Various
pilgrimages here are held as sacred as those of Tirumala, a renowned
pilgrim centre located in the south of India. It is widely believed that
sage Vasishta and his wife had worshipped the Lord here for progeny. They
were finally blessed with a son called Shakti, followed by Parasara, Vyasa
and Suga as the illustrious lineage.