Mysuru | Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited the famous temple on Chamundi Hills here and offered prayers to the Goddess Chamundeshwari, the reigning deity of the city and the royal family.

The former BJP chief, on a visit to the state to campaign for the party ahead of the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, offered prayers to Lord Ganesh before worshipping Chamundeshwari, who is also regarded as 'Naada Devate' (state deity), in the presence of a battery of priests chanting Sanskrit hymns.

He was accompanied among others by Mysuru-Kodagu Member of Parliament Pratap Simha, and MLA S A Ramdas.

‘Chamundi' or ‘Durga' is the fierce form of ‘Shakti', and is the slayer of demons, ‘Chanda' and ‘Munda' and also ‘Mahishasura', the buffalo-headed monster.

Shah took 'pradakshina' (circumambulating in a clockwise direction) of the shrine, after offering prayers.

The temple that is over 1,000 years old was a small shrine initially and assumed importance over the centuries before becoming a major place of worship, officials said.

It assumed significance after the Mysuru Maharajas, the Wodeyar dynasty, came to power in 1399 AD, and were great devotees and worshippers of Chamundeswari, who became their home deity and rose to religious prominence, they said.