Male Mahadeshwara Hills, usually called MM Hills, is a pilgrim town in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district, on the southern edge of the Deccan Plateau. The average elevation is about 910 metres, and the highest point, Ponnachi Betta, rises to roughly 1,500 metres. The town is built around the Male Mahadeshwara temple, which draws devotees from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The hills sit inside the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers about 906 square kilometres of dry and moist deciduous forest. Elephants, gaur, sambar and sloth bears are among the animals recorded in the area, and tigers and leopards are rarely seen. The forest is also part of a wider tiger habitat linked to neighbouring reserves, so the road up to the temple is treated as an elephant route as well as a pilgrim road.
Visiting is simple but not luxurious. Most guest houses are run by religious institutions and need booking ahead, food options are small and vegetarian, and the road climbs through many hairpin bends. Festival days, particularly Maha Shivaratri and Deepavali, bring very large crowds; ordinary weekdays are calm and much easier for older visitors.
The hills work best as a one- or two-night stop between Mysuru, Kollegal and the Cauvery valley. They suit pilgrims, forest-road travellers and families who value quiet over comfort, and they reward those who travel by day and keep expectations modest.
Before you plan
Male Mahadeshwara Hills at a glance
- Best months
- October to February for coolOctober to February for cool, dry weather; avoid festival peaks such as Maha Shivaratri and Deepavali unless the crowds are the point
- Ideal trip length
- 1 day for the temple1 day for the temple, or 2 days to add the forest road and a Cauvery sanctuary outing
- Airport
- No airport in the hillsNo airport in the hills. Mysuru Airport and Bengaluru (BLR) are the usual gateways; Bengaluru is roughly 210 km away by road.
- Railway station
- No rail service to the hillsNo rail service to the hills. Mysuru Junction (MYS) is the main railhead, roughly 150 km away; Kollegal is the closest bus town.
- Getting around
- A hired car or taxi is easiestA hired car or taxi is easiest; KSRTC buses run from Kollegal, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru and Bengaluru, but service is limited outside festival periods.
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 per person…Roughly ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 per person per day excluding transport; guest houses are basic and food is simple
- Senior comfort
- Fair: the road has many hairpin bendsFair: the road has many hairpin bends, facilities are basic and festival crowds are intense, but weekdays are quiet and the temple is compact
- Language
- Kannada and Tamil are both widely spokenKannada and Tamil are both widely spoken; some Hindi and limited English
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Male Mahadeshwara Hills: January, February, October, November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How to reach Male Mahadeshwara Hills by air, train and road →
How many days do you have?
Male Mahadeshwara Hills itinerary
One good day
1 day at Male Mahadeshwara Hills
Start from Kollegal or Hanur early so you climb the hairpin road in daylight. Reach the temple in the morning, queue for darshan on a weekday if possible, and take a simple vegetarian lunch from a local eatery. Leave before late afternoon, because elephants use the forest stretch and the road is better not driven after dark.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days at Male Mahadeshwara Hills
Arrive in the morning, visit the temple and see the smaller Rangana Oddu and Navagraha temples if time allows. Settle into a pre-booked guest house and take an evening walk in the town.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days at Male Mahadeshwara Hills
Travel from Mysuru or Bengaluru by road, reach the town in the afternoon and visit the temple in the evening.
Day-by-day plan →
