About Mahabaleshwara Temple:
The Mahabaleshwara temple on top of the Chamundi hills is the oldest temple on top of the hill. The Mahabaleshwara temple was a very important before the Chamundeshwari temple gained prominence. The Mahabaleshwara temple lost its importance after the Mysore Kings started patronizing the Chamundi temple. In the earlier days the hill was called Mahabaladri or Mahabala Thirtha after the Lord of the temple. The name Chamundi Hills is of recent origin. This temple is situated to the south of the Chamundeswari Temple and attracts a small number of devotees. Records of the Ganga period show that the temple existed during their reign as well. The oldest record of the temple dates back to 950 AD. The famous Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana is said to have expanded this temple. It is believed that the Hoysalas added the Ardha Mantapa and Nava Ranga. Both of them have lathe-turned pillars typical of the other Hoysala temples. Inside the temple there are attractive images of Sapta Matrikas, Nataraja, Parvathi and Bhairava, all built in the style used by the Hoysalas. The image of Vishnu is from the Ganga period. In the niches behind are the statues of Dakshina Murthy and Mahishamardhini, the latter statue is in the Ganga style. In the back of the temple, on the back corridor, there are a few images of Gods like Indra and Bhiikshatana Shiva that indicate that the temple has Chola workmanship as well. There is an image of Brahma from the Ganga period. The front Mantapa was built during the 17th century. This ancient temple that has the workmanship of more that three dynasties is worth visiting.
General Information about Mahabaleshwara Temple:
Location: Mysore
State: Karnataka
Capital: Bangalore
Language: Kannada, Malayalam, English
Temperature: Max 30˚C, Min 21˚C (summer), Max 21˚C, Min 11˚C (winter)
Best Season: November to April
How to Reach Mahabaleshwara Temple:
By Air:
The nearest airport to Mysore is Bangalore (139 km). All the domestic airlines in the country operate their flights to Bangalore from all the major cities in the country. Some international airlines too have flights to Bangalore. Bangalore is to have an international airport shortly.
By Rail:
Mysore is connected with a number of trains to Bangalore. The super fast luxury train the Shatabdi Express connects Mysore to Madras. The quickest and most comfortable way to reach Mysore is via Bangalore.
By Road:
Mysore is 139kms to the south west of Bangalore. The state highway that connects these two cities is very well maintained. Travelling from Bangalore to Mysore by road is a pleasant experience and will take about 3hrs. The Karnataka Road Transport Corporation has excellent bus service to Mysore. There are ordinary buses, semi-luxury buses and luxury buses operated by the Government of Karnataka. Every half an hour there is a non-stop bus to Mysore from Bangalore Bus Station. Corporations of other states and private tour operators have buses plying to Mysore as well. All these facilities have made Mysore extremely accessible by road.