Pall of gloom envelops Kollegal as hundreds bid adieu to victims

CHAMARAJANAGAR: A pall of gloom descended on the small hamlet of Bidaralli in Kollegal taluk on Saturday where an estimated crowd of 1,000 gathered to pay their last respects to the four victims of the Friday's tragedy.

Eleven devotees lost their lives after consuming poisoned offering at the Kichgutth Maramma temple in Sulwadi.




Home to around 200 families, Bidaralli is a close-knit community, and all households in the village felt the pangs of grief of the bereaved families. As many as 12 other residents of the village are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Mysuru.

Sorrow was writ large on the faces of students of the village’s government higher primary school, who had lost a friend, Preetham, 7, to the tragedy. The tiny casket that held Preetham’s mortal remains was heaped with flowers by children.

Temple closed

The district administration has locked the temple. “This is the first time that such a tragedy has occurred. On Saturday, a few women who visited the temple offered prayers outside, although we had closed the doors,” said a temple official.