Early mornings are bliss to trot around Mysore, with meagre traffic and pleasant weather. The palace was not bombarded with people trying to take selfies or shoot reels for their social media. Unfortunately, the not-so-nice barricade is not an option to omit.
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The route to Chamundi Hills is now in automatic mode. Most of the curves are memorised, and a breeze to ride through the twists and turns. ​There are multiple ways to reach the top. I usually take the one through the city and exit on the Ring Road. One of the days in summer and off-season, I got a chance to ride all the way close to the temple. Numerous vantage points offer diverse views of all sides of the majestic city.

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The road from the popular viewpoint towards Nandi is closed due to a broken road. It is now a roundabout to reach the Nandi statue (almost circumnavigating the hill by road). After speaking to a vendor near the Nandi, I learnt that the road fell apart a few years ago, which the government is not keen on repairing. As a result, the Nandi hardly gets any visitors due to the extra distance that needs to be driven.​As a result, the road leading to Nandi is free of traffic sans one or two occasional vehicles. Otherwise, it is pedestrians enjoying the tranquillity of the place.

 

The hike to the top of the temple from the foothills would be incredible.Relishing the curves of the small hill, I exited towards Ring Road and headed back home. Several minor roads eventually join the main road towards Chamundi Hill, which I'm already curious to explore.