Thousands Visit Hassan Temple As Annual Festival Draws Huge Crowds And Minister Objects To Laddu Prices

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Hasanamba Temple in Hassan on Friday, drawing large crowds just a day after the shrine opened for the annual festival. Many people from Hassan began queuing at 4 a.m. for darshan, while those with 300-rupee entry tickets waited three to four hours to reach the sanctum sanctorum.

Official Presence And Queue Complaints

Senior officials including Deputy Commissioner K.S. Lathakumari and Superintendent of Police Shubhanwita managed the crowd at the temple. Devotees noted that the queue moved very slowly, falling short of the district administration's promise of darshan within half an hour, and compared it unfavorably to faster arrangements seen last year under Krishna Byre Gowda.

Laddu Pricing Dispute

Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda expressed strong displeasure over the sale of laddu prasada at 100 rupees each. Visiting the sales stall, he noted that ISKCON supplied the laddus at about 56 rupees each and demanded they be sold without profit, threatening to stage a protest if high prices continued.

Political Reactions And Events

Elected representatives including former Minister A. Manju and MLC Suraj Revanna visited the temple, with Suraj Revanna alleging he received no meeting notice or phone call regarding festival preparations. The administration also held a musical programme on Thursday at Hemavathi Statue Circle featuring a rapper, attended by officials including MP Shreyas Patel, while the music event drew mixed public reactions amid drought concerns.

Context

Annual temple festivals in Karnataka draw massive crowds of devotees who wait for long hours to catch a glimpse of the deity during designated opening windows. District administrations typically oversee crowd management, security arrangements, and prasada distribution during such high-profile religious gatherings.