Thousands of devotees trekked to Deviramma Betta in Chikkamagaluru district for the annual Deviramma temple ritual on Deepavali, while authorities restricted night-time climbing and deployed police, forest personnel and drone surveillance to manage safety and crowd movement.
The ritual began early on Saturday, with puja conducted between 6am and 10am. Devotees were allowed to climb only after the religious ceremony, and darshan was scheduled to remain open until Sunday. The decision to prevent devotees from ascending the hill at night was taken after several people were injured during the previous year’s event amid rainfall.
The temple is located at an elevation of about 3,900 feet atop Deviramma Betta in the Chandra Drona hill range, within the Baba Budangiri region. Devotees undertake a steep, approximately 3-km climb to reach the shrine. The temple doors open only once a year on Naraka Chaturdashi, before sunrise, making the ritual a major annual gathering for people from Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Shivamogga and neighbouring districts.
This year’s gathering took place in cold and misty conditions, with women and young people among those making the ascent. Chants of “Deviramma” were heard across the hill, while queues near the sanctum extended for more than a kilometre, according to the report.
The Chikkamagaluru district administration, police, forest department and revenue department made arrangements along the access route and at the foothills. Barricades were placed at risky curves, ropes were fixed at sections requiring additional support, and temporary facilities included drinking-water points, toilets and first-aid centres.
Police and home guards were deployed at intervals of about 100 metres to assist with crowd control and emergency response. Forest department personnel regulated entry to limit damage to the shola forest surrounding the hill. Drone surveillance was also used to monitor crowd movement and identify pressure points along the route.
The event illustrates the administrative challenge of managing a large one-day religious gathering at a difficult hilltop location with limited access and sensitive forest surroundings. Restricting the night climb shifted the timing of movement, while the deployment of temporary services and personnel allowed authorities to manage visitors across the foothill and ascent routes.
Devotees believe Goddess Deviramma protects the hills and villages below, and that participation in the annual ritual brings prosperity and protection from evil. The religious significance of the gathering has made the once-a-year opening a major draw despite the steep climb and changing weather conditions.
Officials said the ritual concluded peacefully and that no untoward incident was reported. Darshan is scheduled to continue until Sunday, after which the temple’s annual public opening will end.
