Devotee Dies While Climbing Deviramma Hill in Chikkamagaluru

A 35-year-old devotee collapsed and died on Sunday morning while climbing Deviramma Betta to visit the hilltop temple at Mallenahalli near Chikkamagaluru. The man has been identified as Lakshman from Kanyadi in Dakshina Kannada district. He was climbing the hill from the Mallenahalli side when he suddenly collapsed. Fire and Emergency Services personnel, who were stationed along the trail to assist visitors, carried his body down the hill. Officials later shifted the body to the district government hospital in Chikkamagaluru. Lakshman worked for a private company in Bengaluru and had come to visit a relative in Huvinahalli. He reportedly travelled overnight and decided to start climbing the hill early in the morning.

Festival Details

The Deviramma temple atop the hill opens to the public only during the annual festival, which began on Saturday. Thousands of devotees from across the State have visited the temple over the past two days. The festival has been extended to two days this year, and authorities have banned climbing the hill at night for safety reasons. The Chikkamagaluru district administration and local police have put security arrangements and safety measures in place for the event.

Context

Hilltop temples and annual pilgrimage sites in Karnataka often draw massive crowds during festival seasons, prompting local administrations to deploy emergency services along trekking routes. Night trekking bans are common safety measures implemented by authorities to prevent accidents on steep and unlit terrain during major religious gatherings.