Footfall rises further at Karnataka’s Hasanamba temple ahead of festival closure

The queue in front of the Hasanamba Temple in Hassan is getting longer with only one day left for the devotees to have ‘darshan’ of the deity. Visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the deity till 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. The temple will be closed on Thursday, October 23, after traditional rituals.

The temple was opened on October 9, marking the inauguration of the annual festival. The festival attracts a large number of devotees from different parts of the State and outside as the temple is open only during the festival.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is also the Minister in charge of Hassan district, informed presspersons on Tuesday that more than 23 lakh people had visited the Hasanamba Temple since October 10, the day from when the devotees were allowed to enter the temple. Last year, during the festival, a total of 17.46 lakh people visited the temple. So far, a total of 3.4 lakh people have visited the temple by purchasing tickets worth ₹300 and ₹1,000 this year, compared to 1.29 lakh ticket buyers last year.

On Monday alone, more than two lakh people visited the temple. On Wednesday, the deity ‘darshan’ will start at 5 a.m. and continue till 7 p.m. Mr. Byre Gowda clarified that the public would not be allowed to enter the temple on Thursday.