Sri Chamundeswari Temple

Lonely Planet review

Overlooking Mysore from the 1062m-high summit of Chamundi Hill, the Sri Chamundeswari Temple, dominated by a towering seven-storey, 40m-high gopuram , makes a fine half-day excursion. Pilgrims are supposed to climb the 1000-plus steps to the top; those not needing a karmic boost will find descending easier. A road goes to the top; bus 201 departs from the City bus stand in Mysore for the summit every 40 minutes. A taxi will cost around Rs200 .

A path that starts near the stalls behind the statue will lead you down the hill, a 45-minute descent taking in 1000 steps and re-energising views. One-third of the way down is a 5m-high Nandi (Shiva's bull vehicle) that was carved out of solid rock in 1659. It's one of the largest in India and is visited by hordes of pilgrims. The garlanded statue has a flaky black coating of coconut-husk charcoal mixed with ghee.

You may have rubbery legs by the time you reach the bottom of the hill and it's still about 2km back to Mysore's centre. Fortunately, there are usually autorickshaws nearby, which charge Rs 40 or so for the trip back to town.