Temples Of India – En route Bengaluru – Mysuru

There is nothing so joyous as going on a road trip and taking unplanned stops, and being spontaneous. Recently we had the opportunity to travel from Bengaluru to Mysuru (Mysore). On the way, we were fortunate to visit some of the ancient temples. I am sharing some stories and pics below.

The very first temple we visited is the Srikanteshwara Temple, in Nanjangud Town, near Mysore. It is situated on the banks of river Kapila, and is known as “Dakshina Kashi”. The temple was very calm and serene and not very crowded. Travelling with a kid, always makes me nervous while visiting crowded temple. But thankfully the day we chose was not a crowded one. The temple is really old, and has several stone pillars, that are truly remarkable.

 

Once we reached Mysore, an exit without visiting the famous Chamundeshwari Temple is impossible. I had last visited Chamundeshwari temple about twenty years ago, and now I was visiting it again. The temple and its surroundings seemed unchanged even after several years. The entrance to the temple is lined with several shops. The shops sell several handmade art products handmade with organic wood. And there were special monkey friends everywhere waiting for us to give them bananas.

Chamundi temple is situated on a hill near Mysore. From the hill you can get a view of Mysore city. The road to the temple is a bit curvy. At the entrance of the temple there is a great statue of Mahishasura, the evil demon, who was slayed by the Goddess Durga. Hence the goddess is referred to my the name of Mahishasura Mardini. The town of Mysore also got the name Mahisha Ooru or Mysuru, due to this legend. Sadhguru, Jaggi Vasudev, found enlightenment in the very same Chamundi Hills.

The most divine aspect of the temple is the radiant and powerful goddess Devi Chamundeshari. “Shree Chamundeshwari Palayamaam, Kripakari Shankari…” and so on goes the famous Vilamba Kaala Kriti in raaga Bilahari, composed by Mysore Vasudevacharya in praise of this Goddess and is one of my personal favorites.

Sharing some pics of the temple and surroundings below.

On our way back to Bengaluru, the third temple we visited was the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Sri Rangapatna. Sri Rangapatna derives its name from this temple and its presiding deity Lord Sri Ranganatha. The Lord is in his reclining resting position in idol form in this temple. This temple is one of the 5 sacred sites, collectively known as “Pancharanga Kshetrams” in South India.

As we entered the temple area, it was pleasant to see that the temple was not crowded. However what was most pleasing to ears was the great M.S.Subbulakshmi’s voice rendering Vishnu Sahasranaama. There were several shops and eateries around the temples, but we skipped most and went straight to the temple. Sharing some pics below.

I would also like to mention that for road travellers on this route, there are several restaurants you can binge at. Yummy south Indian food is available in multiple restaurants. There are many hotels where you can stay in Bangalore and Mysore. En route, don’t forget to taste the very famous Maddur Vada 🙂 around the town of Maddur.  Some other important places you can visit on this route – Channapatna, a town near Bangalore specialising in wooden toys, Ramnagar Hills where the famous Hindi movie Sholay was captured and Janapada Loka, a folk art theme park, where you can have a day out.

And here is the piece of handmade wooden art I bought. Isn’t that lovely? What do you think? Please log in and comment! Also, please don’t forget to subscribe to www.musicnamaste.com through the subscribe box on the right or like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/musicnamastecom/ to stay connected!