The revered doors of the ancient Hasanamba Temple in Hassan were ceremonially closed on Thursday, October 23, 2025, marking the triumphant conclusion of the annual Hasanamba festival, which had commenced on October 9. Devotees will now have to wait until October 29, 2026, for the temple’s gates to reopen, as it exclusively welcomes visitors during this special annual event.
The traditional closing rituals were observed in the esteemed presence of Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, who also serves as the minister in charge of the Hassan district, alongside local legislators, senior district officials, and community members.
A Festival of Unprecedented Scale and Prosperity
During a subsequent press conference, Minister Krishna Byregowda announced the festival’s extraordinary success. This year, a staggering 2,613,000 people visited the temple to receive darshana of the deity – a substantial increase of approximately 850,000 visitors compared to the 1.74 million recorded last year.
The temple administration also saw a significant boost in its earnings, collecting an impressive ₹21.82 crore from ticket sales this year. This figure is nearly three times greater than last year’s revenue of ₹9.68 crore. The Minister highlighted that 360,000 devotees purchased entry tickets, a stark rise from the 140,000 ticket sales in the previous year. It’s important to note that these revenue figures do not even include the offerings collected in the hundi.
Smooth Operations and Public Cooperation
The Minister lauded the event’s smooth execution, emphasizing that general devotees from across the state were able to have a peaceful darshana, despite often enduring long queues. He attributed this success to the invaluable cooperation received from elected representatives, the district administration, and the general public.
Byregowda also noted the effective streamlining of VIP entry into the temple this year, with VIPs largely adhering to the new restrictions. He mentioned only a couple of instances where VIPs, arriving outside their designated times, chose to join the public queues, further showcasing the cooperative spirit of the event.
Among the dignitaries present at the closing ceremony were Lok Sabha member Shreyas M. Patel, Arasikere MLA K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, Hassan MLA H.P. Swaroop, Deputy Commissioner K.S. Lathakumari, Zilla Panchayat CEO B.R. Poornima, and Superintendent of Police Mohammed Sujeetha.