Devotees waiting for darshan at Karnataka’s Hasanamba Temple allegedly faced hours of delay after entry through the general queue was temporarily stopped during Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s special puja, prompting some to throw footwear at an LED screen showing visuals of the ritual, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle and a video cited in the report.
Shivakumar visited the temple in Hassan district on Sunday with his wife on the occasion of Deepavali. He performed special prayers inside the sanctum sanctorum, while visuals of the ceremony were displayed on an LED screen for devotees outside.
The report said the general darshan queue was allegedly halted temporarily during the Chief Minister’s visit. Several devotees had already been waiting for hours in long queues, and some reportedly expressed their anger by removing their slippers and throwing them at the screen displaying the Chief Minister and his wife.
A video of the incident has since circulated on social media. The account described the action as an apparent expression of anger over the delay in access to darshan. The report did not include an official response from the temple authorities, the district administration or the Chief Minister’s office on the alleged queue disruption.
Hasanamba Temple opens only once a year for a limited period during the Deepavali festival season as part of its annual rituals. The restricted opening period draws large numbers of devotees, making queue movement and access arrangements central to the visitor experience during the festival.
The incident highlights the administrative pressure created when high-profile visits coincide with a short annual access window and large public turnout. Any temporary change to the general queue during such visits can affect people who have already spent several hours waiting, particularly when alternative arrangements or the duration of the interruption are not clear from the available account.
The Karnataka BJP referred to the incident in a post on X, writing, “This is what happened just by seeing him on the screen… Imagine what would happen if they encountered him in person!” The post criticised the Chief Minister over the reported reaction, but did not provide additional details about the queue arrangements or the temple administration’s account.
The available report establishes that the incident followed Shivakumar’s temple visit and that a video circulated online. It does not establish the exact duration of the alleged stoppage, the number of devotees affected, whether anyone was injured, or whether the queue was subsequently restored. Further details would depend on statements from the temple authorities and local administration.
