Shivamogga: The revered Hasanamba temple in Hassan, Karnataka, has welcomed a staggering number of visitors for its annual festival. Since October 10th, more than 6.4 lakh devotees have flocked to this sacred site.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, who oversees the district, highlighted the immense turnout, noting that over 2.29 lakh people visited the temple in just 24 hours leading up to 5 a.m. on October 14th.
Expressing his delight, Minister Byregowda stated, “We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to so many ordinary citizens at the temple. It’s heartening to see numerous farmers and hardworking families making this pilgrimage.”
Unique to this deity, the Hasanamba temple is exclusively open to devotees during this annual festival period, remaining closed for the rest of the year. This limited window makes the darshan (sacred viewing) a highly anticipated spiritual experience.
The Hassan district administration has meticulously organized arrangements to ensure a smooth and reverent experience for all pilgrims. The festival will conclude, and the temple doors will close, on October 23rd.
To help manage the expected surge in crowds, both the Minister and the district administration have kindly requested devotees to plan their visits before October 18th, if possible, to avoid the final days’ rush.
Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also anticipated to pay his respects at the temple on October 15th.
Additionally, for those interested in exploring during the festival, new facilities were introduced, such as helitourism and special tour packages offered by KSRTC.