Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and other Ministers were among the thousands who flocked to Chamundi Hills for the darshan of Goddess Chamundeshwari on the first Friday of the Ashada season.
Devotees from Mysuru and surrounding regions flock to the hill shrine every Friday of the season (Ashada Shukravara) as part of a hoary tradition.
There was a serpentine queue around the temple complex since the crack of dawn and the special rituals to mark the season commenced around 3 a.m. However, entry to the public for darshan began at 5.30 a.m. The temple precincts were richly decorated with flowers.
The public’s entry was stopped to accommodate the Chief Minister and his entourage around 1 p.m. This upset a few devotees. However, the authorities stuck to the protocol and once the entourage left the precincts, the entry and exit to the temple was smooth once again.
In view of the anticipated rush, the district administration had made adequate arrangements for the benefit of the public.
Entry of private vehicles to the hill was banned except for those having special passes and the KSRTC had introduced additional trips to ferry the public from the Lalitha Mahal Palace grounds to the hilltop and back.
This was in addition to special services introduced from the city bus stand.
The decision to ban the movement of private vehicles to the hills every Friday of the Ashada is in vogue since the last few years. This has helped avoid traffic congestion at the hill top and eases the trip to the hilltop and back for the public.
A steady stream of elected representatives and officials also paid a visit to the temple during the day and security had been increased to handle any exigency.