KARNATAKA TRAVEL GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
Chamundi Hills and Chamundeshwari Temple Guide: Timings, 1,008 Steps, Darshan and Bus
How to visit the hilltop temple above Mysuru: the 1,008-step climb and the giant Nandi, darshan timings and tickets (and which reported prices to ignore), how to get up by bus, car or on foot, the Ashada Friday rules and a one-morning plan.
Quick answer: how to visit Chamundi Hills
Take the stone steps at first light, see the Nandi halfway up, and join the free darshan queue when the temple opens at 7:30 am; come back down by bus or on foot. The temple is about 13 km from central Mysuru, the road up takes 15 to 20 minutes, and general darshan is free. Avoid Ashada Fridays, Navaratri and weekend afternoons unless you want crowds.
Chamundi Hill rises east of Mysuru and carries the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, patronised for centuries by the Mysore rulers and, according to one travel page, the place where the Mysuru Dasara celebrations begin with a pooja. Its elevation is quoted as roughly 3,300 feet in some places and 3,480 feet (1,060 m) in others, so use ‘about 1,000 metres’ and move on. What matters for a visitor is the order of the day: the steps and Nandi first, the temple second, the viewpoint last. Our Mysore Palace guide and Mysuru district guide cover the rest of the city.
Details on tickets, queues and vehicle rules change often and the sources disagree, especially about special-darshan prices. This page tells you which numbers are consistent across sources, which are single reports, and what to confirm on the day.
Chamundi Hills at a glance
| Item | What to know | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | About 13 km from Mysuru; 15–20 minutes by road | High |
| Darshan timings | Three windows reported by several pages: about 7:30 am–2 pm, 3:30–6 pm and 7:30–9 pm. One page gives Sunday as 7:30 am–6 pm plus the evening window | Medium: confirm locally |
| General darshan | Free (sarva darshan); no booking needed | High |
| Special darshan | Reports range from ₹30 and ₹100 online tickets to a ₹300 ticket reportedly discontinued and a ₹2,000 quick-darshan ticket during Ashada 2026 | Low: ask at the official counter |
| Steps | About 1,000 (1,008 in two sources); built 1659 per Wikipedia | High |
| Nandi | Granite bull about halfway; Wikipedia gives 4.9 m tall and 7.6 m long | High |
| Dress | Modest dress; shorts and short skirts discouraged; dhotis may be available at the entrance | Medium |
| Photography | Sources conflict: allowed with permission in one, ‘not allowed’ in a reviewer account | Low: ask first |
Treat the table as the planning baseline. For anything involving money, pay at an official counter or the temple’s own booking page only.
The 1,008 steps and what you pass on the way
Steps1,008 (about 1,000)Built1659, Dodda Devaraja WodeyarNandiabout halfway, 4.9 m tallClimb time1–1.5 hours (estimate)
The stone stairway was built in 1659 and climbs towards the temple. Most sources count 1,008 steps; round figures of 1,000 are common. A huge granite Nandi, carved from a single block, sits at about the 700th step according to Wikipedia’s temple article, which dates its installation to 1664 under Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar. Wikipedia’s hill article gives its size as 4.9 m high and 7.6 m long. Karnataka Tourism describes the climb as a devotional one undertaken by pilgrims, especially during festivals.
How to climb it
Start at first light, carry water and wear shoes with grip. A fit adult may take about an hour to an hour and a half to climb; that is our estimate and depends on how often you stop. Reviewers warn about monkeys at the temple, so keep prasad and bags closed. After rain, stone steps are slippery. A reviewer reports a viewpoint on the way up and a small Shiva shrine near the top, and the steps give views over Mysuru.
Other things on the hill
At the temple is a statue of Mahishasura, the demon the goddess slew in the legend, shown with a sword and a cobra. The hill also has the Mahabaleshwara Temple, which Wikipedia describes as older than the Chamundeshwari temple. The shrine itself is traced to the Hoysala period, with a later tower attributed to Vijayanagara rulers and a renovation around 1827 under Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. Allow 30 minutes for the viewpoints and these smaller sights.
Darshan, tickets and what to avoid
Queues and tickets
General darshan is free and needs no advance booking; outside festival periods it usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Reviewers report anything from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the day, with weekends and festivals worst. A travel page lists special online entry tickets at ₹30 and ₹100. Reviewers mention paper tickets at ₹30, ₹100 and ₹300, and a pilgrimage-news site covering the 2026 Ashada season says the ₹300 special darshan was discontinued and a ₹2,000 quick-darshan ticket introduced. These cannot all be current at once, so ask at the official counter, read the notice board and ignore the rest.
Do not pay touts
One reviewer reports paying ₹1,100 per adult to people outside the temple who offered faster darshan. That is not an official option. Buy tickets only at the temple counters or its own website, and ask for a printed receipt.
Dress and conduct
Wear modest clothes covering shoulders and knees. Shoe stands are reported to charge about ₹5 per pair. Keep belongings close in crowded queues, and report pushing or harassment to temple staff. Photography rules differ by source: one page says photos are allowed with permission, a reviewer says photography is not permitted inside. Ask before you take your phone out. For a quieter temple experience in the same city, see the famous temples in Karnataka guide.
How to go up: steps, bus, taxi or your own car
| Option | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| On foot | The 1,008 steps start at the foot of the hill | Cool mornings only; allow 1–1.5 hours up (estimate) |
| City bus | KSRTC city buses leave Mysuru roughly every 20 minutes, per one listing | Cheapest; check the current bus number and pick-up point at the city bus stand |
| Taxi or auto | About 15–20 minutes up the winding road | Agree the return fare before you go |
| Own car or bike | Most guides say you can drive up on ordinary days, though one reviewer says cars park at the foot of the hill with a walk of 200–500 metres | Not allowed on certain days; see below |
| Shuttle | A free KSRTC shuttle ran from Shashiranjan Ground near Lalitha Mahal Palace on restricted days in 2026 | Check the notice board or local news for the day |
Ashada Fridays and other restricted days
During Ashada (the month before the monsoon peaks, usually July to August), the hill sees large crowds, especially on Fridays. In 2026 a travel report said private vehicles were not allowed on the hill on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays of Ashada, with parking at a designated lot and a free KSRTC shuttle. The same crowd-control logic applies on Navaratri and Dasara. If you plan a visit then, go by bus, arrive very early and expect a long queue.
Plastic, fines and a proposed green cess
A Deccan Herald report of June 2026 says the forest department has proposed a ‘green cess’ on private vehicles and that Rs 3.26 lakh in fines was collected in 390 cases in 2025-26 for plastic violations. The cess was a proposal, not a confirmed rule. Do not carry single-use plastic up the hill, and check whether any vehicle fee has been introduced before you drive.
Legend, history and why the temple matters
In the legend, Goddess Durga, worshipped here as Chamundeshwari, killed the demon king Mahishasura on this hill. Local tradition derives the city’s name from him, and the hill was once known as Mahabalachala. The original shrine is thought to date from the 12th century under the Hoysala rulers, the tower is attributed to Vijayanagara-era builders in the 17th century, and the Mysore rulers patronised the temple for centuries, with a renovation recorded around 1827 under Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.
Her importance to Mysuru is easiest to see at Dasara: one travel page says the festival still opens with a pooja to the goddess on the hill, and her image is later carried through the city on a golden howdah. During Navaratri the idol is decorated in nine different ways, according to Wikipedia. Even outside the festival, the hill is a living place of worship rather than a sightseeing stop, so behave accordingly.
Visiting with children, seniors or limited mobility
The steps are a long climb for young children and older relatives. Take the bus or a taxi up and walk down, or skip the steps altogether. A reviewer reports good wheelchair access with a dedicated entrance at the temple, and another reports a battery vehicle for senior citizens that runs from the car park. Both are single reports, so ask staff at the entrance. Avoid peak hours with small children; queues, pushing and monkeys are the three things reviewers complain about most.
A one-morning plan
| Time | Plan |
|---|---|
| 5:30–6:00 am | Reach the foot of the steps by auto or cab |
| 6:00–7:30 am | Climb the steps; stop at Nandi and the small shrines |
| 7:30 am | Temple opens; join the free darshan queue |
| 9:00 am | Viewpoint, Mahishasura statue, breakfast on the hill |
| 10:00 am | Bus or taxi down; continue to Mysore Palace in the city centre |
Mysore Palace sits in the city centre, roughly the same 13 km back down the hill; one travel page quotes shorter distances to the palace, which cannot be right given the temple’s distance from town. See our Mysore Palace guide, the Srirangapatna guide for a half-day trip, and the Mysore Dasara page for festival context.
Best time to visit and what it costs
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Weekday mornings, any month | Best odds of a short queue and cool steps |
| Oct–Feb | Comfortable for the climb; Dasara and Navaratri crowds in October |
| Mar–May | Hot; start at first light |
| Jul–Aug (Ashada) | Heavy Friday crowds and vehicle controls; plan around them |
| Jun–Sep (rain) | Slippery steps and mist; take care |
Money is the simplest part: general darshan is free, special tickets (if you choose them) are ₹30 to ₹2,000 depending on which report you believe, shoe stands about ₹5, and a city bus is the cheapest ride up. We could not confirm parking rates, so we do not quote them. For the wider calendar, see best time to visit Karnataka.
Chamundi Hills and Chamundeshwari Temple: frequently asked questions
How far is Chamundi Hills from Mysuru?
About 13 km from central Mysuru. The road up takes 15 to 20 minutes by car or auto.
How many steps are there to Chamundeshwari Temple?
About 1,000; two sources give 1,008. The stairway was built in 1659, and the granite Nandi stands about halfway.
What are the Chamundeshwari Temple timings?
Several pages list about 7:30 am to 2 pm, 3:30 to 6 pm and 7:30 to 9 pm. Confirm locally, because festival days run longer.
Is there an entry fee or darshan ticket?
General darshan is free. Special tickets reported at ₹30, ₹100, ₹300 and ₹2,000 conflict, so ask at the official counter and avoid touts.
Can I drive up Chamundi Hills?
Yes on ordinary days. On restricted days such as Ashada Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in 2026, private vehicles were not allowed and a free KSRTC shuttle ran from Shashiranjan Ground.
What should I wear?
Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees. Shorts and short skirts are discouraged.
Is photography allowed?
Sources disagree. Ask temple staff before photographing inside, and avoid photographing rituals.
How long does a visit take?
Plan 3 to 4 hours for the steps, darshan and viewpoints. Allow more on weekends and festival days.
Keep exploring Karnataka
Plan the rest of your Mysuru days with the Mysuru district guide, the Mysore Palace guide and Mysore Dasara 2026. For wider routes see the Karnataka 7-day itinerary, Mandya for Srirangapatna and Ranganathittu, and festivals in Karnataka.
Updated October 2026. Timings, ticket prices and vehicle rules are approximate and can change. Confirm with the temple office or on the notice board before you go.