Chamundi Hills, Mysore Palace set to be developed

Mysore, Apr 15 (UNI) Buoyed by the boom in tourism and growing popularity of Chamundi Hills and the famous Mysore palace, the Karnataka Government has taken up long term measures to promote tourism to cope with the projected influx of tourists in the coming years.

A detailed project report (DPR) for the development of Chamundi Hills was ready and would be submitted to the Centre for approval. A similar exercise was in progress for the Mysore palace too. Both the projects would be taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a Centrally-sponsored project in 63 cities across the country.

Tourism department sources told UNI that the recent decision by the authorities to prepare a master plan to develop the Chamundeswari temple could not come at a more opportune moment. The Archaeological Survey of India and the State Department of Archaeology and Museums would conceive a master plan to improve the surroundings, the temple precincts and might take up landscaping.

The pilgrims' progress to Chamundeswari temple atop Chamundi Hills continued unabated, with the religious place attracting about 70 lakh pilgrims during 2005 and over ten million in 2006. It was increasingly being recognised as one of the seven sacred hills in South India, as the signage proclaimed at one of the hairpin bends.

Historically, the earliest inscription of Mysore dating back to 950 AD was found in Chamundi Hills and scholars aver that the Mahabala temple next to Chamundi Hills was constructed during the reign of the Gangas.

Situated at a height of 1,074 metres above mean sea level, the Chamundeswari temple's importance had grown ever since the Wadiyars of Mysore began to patronise it.

Karnataka Tourism Commissioner G Kumar Naik, who held a review meeting on Chamundi Hills development here recently, said various agencies and stakeholders, including the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Tourism department, KSRTC and Mysore City Corporation held different visions and perceptions. Project consultants of various organisations have been asked to work together and the estimated cost of the Chamundi hills and Palace project was around Rs 75 crore.

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