The Hassan district administration has invited Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to the Hasanamba Temple festival, while officials have announced separate time windows for VIP and public darshan to manage the expected crowds. The festival will be held in Hassan from October 29 to November 11.
A delegation led by district minister KM Shivalingegowda handed over the invitation to Shivakumar on Thursday. The chief minister said he would visit the temple between November 1 and 6 and instructed ministers and officials to ensure that devotees did not face inconvenience.
Around 25 lakh devotees visited the temple during last year’s festival. This year, the administration is preparing arrangements on a larger scale, with officials comparing the planned coordination to the arrangements made for Mysuru Dasara.
The district administration has made arrangements for approximately 3,500 VIPs. Shivalingegowda said VIP darshan would be allowed only between 10.30am and 12.30pm, with the remaining hours reserved for the general public. The separate schedule is intended to prevent VIP movement from disrupting access for other devotees.
Devotees seeking quicker access can continue to use the special darshan ticket priced at Rs 1,000. Invitations have also been extended to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other ministers, according to the report. The article identifies DK Shivakumar as chief minister and also refers to invitations being extended to the deputy chief minister.
The announcement follows Shivalingegowda’s comments on reports that three ministers were stopped by police during the Nandi Dhwaja puja at Mysuru Dasara. He said the police action was wrong and assured that such incidents would not be repeated during the Hasanamba festival. A special system has been designed to manage VIP and public darshan separately.
MP Shreyas M Patel, Hassan deputy commissioner KS Latha Kumari, superintendent of police Shubhanwita, zilla panchayat CEO Shubha Shukla and additional deputy commissioner Krishnamurthy attended the meeting. The festival is scheduled to begin on October 29, with the announced crowd-management arrangements applying through November 11.
