Chamundi Hill
Chamundi Hill, Mysuru, Karnataka
The hill above Mysuru where, at twenty-five, Sadhguru sat on a rock one afternoon and, as he tells it in Inner Engineering, lost all sense of where he ended and the world began.
What the texts say
- Lineage text
Sadhguru describes a Mysore habit of going up Chamundi Hill whatever the reason. One afternoon, with nothing to do, he rode up, parked his motorcycle and sat on an outcrop about two-thirds of the way up that he used as his contemplation rock, looking out over the city.
Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy, Sadhguru, "When I Lost My Sense"
- Lineage text
He writes that the line between himself and everything around him dissolved. What felt like ten minutes turned out to be four and a half hours; the sun had set, and he found himself in tears, in a state he had never known.
“My life is just that moment, gracefully enduring.”
Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy, Sadhguru, "When I Lost My Sense"
What tradition holds
Kept apart from the texts on purpose. These are held with respect, and they are not the same as a written source.
- Pilgrim tradition
The hilltop temple is dedicated to Sri Chamundeswari, the titular deity of the Mysore royal family, remembered as Mahishasura Mardini for slaying the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura.
Held by: Devotees of the Chamundeswari temple, as described by the Mysuru district administration
What you will find today
- Getting there
- About 13 km from Mysuru. The Chamundeswari temple is at the top of the hill, about 3,489 feet above sea level. The railway station is about 13 km away and the airport about 15 km.
- Timings and conduct
- Temple timings: 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
- Altitude
- About 1063 m
Last checked via District Administration Mysuru, Government of Karnataka (https://mysore.nic.in/en/tourist-place/chamunid-hill/). Conditions change; confirm before you travel.
A practice for this place
Find a rock partway up the hill, away from the road, and sit with your eyes open on the city below. Do not try to meditate or to have an experience. Sadhguru went up with nothing to do, so let this be twenty minutes of simply sitting, with the breath left to itself.