Hasanamba darshana: Devotees visiting Hassan appreciate arrangements made by district administration, says Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda

Devotees from different places who visited the Hasanamba Temple in Hassan appreciated the arrangements made by the district administration, which ensured the smooth flow of people in the queues. Many of them were seen personally thanking Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is also the minister in-charge of Hassan district.

“Last year, I stood for four hours even after purchasing the entry ticket for ₹1,000. This year, I got a darshana of the deity in a few minutes, thanks to the arrangements,” said Rangaswamy, a devotee from Bengaluru who visits the temple every year.

The doors of the temple are opened only during the festival and remain closed for the rest of the year. Lakhs of people from distant places travel here to have a darshana of the deity during the festival. This time, the district administration streamlined the entry of VIPs and pass holders so that the other devotees did not have to wait for long in the queues.

Mr. Byre Gowda visited the temple premises on Saturday and interacted with the devotees. He appealed to them to not panic, as everybody would get a chance for their darshanas.

For the devotees, there are three separate queues, including for those who purchase entry tickets worth ₹300 and ₹1,000. “In the past, even those who purchased tickets worth ₹1,000 were made to wait for long. This time, it was easy for both them and those who bought ₹300-tickets. Within a few minutes, people had exited the premises after their darshanas. Those who were in the general queue with no tickets waited for a couple of hours for their darshanas,” said Prakash, a Hassan resident.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Byre Gowda said the movement of devotees had been smooth on the first two days and he expects the same in the days ahead. “Since the movement of people in the general queue is quick, the sale of special entry tickets would be less this year, resulting in reduced earnings. However, we are not bothered about that. Our concern is that devotees should have peaceful darshanas and return happily,” the minister said.

The administration is expecting an increase in the number of people visiting the temple on Sunday, as it is a holiday. The administration has deployed officials from different departments to handle the crowd and look after their needs on the temple premises. The festival will come to an end on October 23, the day when the doors of the temple will be closed.