Mysuru: Preparations are in final stages for Ashada Shukravara (Friday) special puja rituals at Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, atop Chamundi Hill, from June 27 to July 18. Ashada Friday rituals, which are an annual religious fervour, will be held on June 27, July 4, 11 and 18, with Chamundeshwari Vardhanti on July 17.
DC G. Lakshmikanth Reddy inspected the preparations this morning, along with Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) S. Ukesh Kumar, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, DCP (Crime & Traffic) K.S. Sundar Raj, Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority Secretary M.J. Roopa, Information & Public Relations Department Assistant Director T.K. Harish Kumar and other officials.
Devotees can have darshan of the presiding deity from 8 am on the first Ashada Friday (June 27), after the conclusion of special puja rituals.
Free transportation, barricading
DC Lakshmikanth Reddy told media persons, as in previous years, free transportation is arranged in KSRTC buses for the devotees from Lalitha Mahal Palace grounds to the top of the Hill. The vehicles, irrespective of two-wheelers and four-wheelers, can be parked in the designated rows.
Barring the movement of protocol vehicles and VIP vehicles, the movement of private vehicles to the Hill is banned on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, till the conclusion of Ashada Shukravara rituals on July 18.
Apart from providing free entry to the Temple under Dharma Darshana, the special entry tickets priced at Rs. 300 and Rs. 2,000 will be sold at the dedicated counters being opened at Lalitha Mahal grounds.
They will also be ferried in separate buses that will stop at three different places upon reaching the Hill. The bus carrying devotees opting for free entry will stop at the parking lot at the Hill, while buses of Rs. 300 ticket holders will stop a distance away from the parking lot.
The bus carrying Rs. 2,000 ticket holders will stop at a point near the Mahishasura statue.
To avoid chaos and confusion, especially the stampede-like incidents, separate barricading has been arranged for all three entries, including the special entry ticket holders.
40-gram dry fruits, badam milk
Those coming to the Hill through steps from the foothill will be given a packet of 40-gram dry fruits, along with water and badam milk at the Hill by Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Authority. The same privilege will be extended to the devotees availing Dharma Darshana.
For Rs. 2,000 ticket holders, a gift pack consisting of an idol of Chamundeshwari shall be given. The devotees gaining entry to the Temple through different barricades shall meet at the common point inside the sanctum sanctorum.
While there is no permission for private organisers to distribute prasadam to the devotees, the Chamundeshwari Temple Authority itself has organised dasoha (mass feeding) this year.
VIP darshan: 5 am-10 am
Arrangements are being made to feed 1,000 devotees at a time at the vehicle parking lot near the Mahishasura statue. VIPs shall be provided access to the Temple for darshan of the presiding deity only between 5 am and 10 am.
As an extended security measure, 100 Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled CCTV cameras have been installed for surveillance covering the strategic points at the Hill, including the Temple surroundings, parking lot, concourse area and Lalitha Mahal parking lot.
City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said that a strong contingent of 1,000 Police personnel, 4 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) force, one women’s KSRP platoon, totalling 1,700 will be deployed on duty.
Chief Priest of the Temple N. Shashishekar Dixit said that the puja rituals on Ashada Shukravara begin from 5.30 am. The Temple will remain open for devotees till 10 pm on all four Ashada Shukravaras.
No reels shooting at temple; mobile phones banned
Mobile phones are completely restricted inside Chamundeshwari Temple during Ashada. The shooting of reels and photographs using mobile phones and cameras is totally restricted at the Temple. Any violations in this regard will lead to permanent forfeiture of mobile phone and camera. The Temple Authority itself will be henceforth live-streaming the rituals on social networking sites and will share the photos and videos related to Utsava Murti.