Just south of Mysore, Chumandi Hill makes a wonderful half-day excursion trip from Mysore to a relatively cool and peaceful perched high on top of a hill. It is dedicated to the Goddess Chamundi, the chosen deity of the kings of Mysore, this incarnation of the goddess Durga is thought to protect the city below from the demon god Mahishasura. 

A solid gold statue of the goddess sits in the sanctum, with several other smaller shrined dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant god, and Hanuman, the monkey god, dotted within the complex.  A large 5m statue of Nandi Bull made of a single piece of black granite sits strategically overlooking the path down the hill.