Ashada Fridays atop Chamundi Hills: A slew of measures in place as large turnout foreseen

The Hindu

10 hours ago

With the first Ashada Friday scheduled on June 27, the Mysuru district administration is gearing up to manage a massive influx of devotees at the Chamundeshwari Temple atop the Chamundi Hills, expecting a turnout of over two lakh devotees on each Friday of the month.
To ensure smooth darshan and prevent untoward incidents, a slew of measures have been put in place by the administration. On Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikant Reddy, along with senior officials, visited the temple premises and reviewed the preparedness.
As in previous years, private vehicles will not be allowed on the hill from Friday to Sunday during the season. To manage the crowd and reduce congestion atop the hill, free shuttle buses will operate from the temporary bus stand near Lalitha Mahal Palace.
'All private vehicles are banned on these days. Free KSRTC buses will ferry devotees from the foothills. The entry system has been categorised to avoid confusion,' Mr. Reddy said at a press conference after the inspection.
Three-tier darshan system
This year, a three-tier darshan system will be in place with devotees having the option to choose from - a free darshan, a ticketed darshan at a cost of ₹300, or a special darshan at a price of ₹2,000.
Tickets will be available at the bus-stand and parking lot near the Lalitha Mahal helipad. Separate shuttle buses will be operated based on ticket category. 'Devotees will be segregated at the foothills and guided accordingly to avoid mixing up of lines,' the DC added.
Devotees, as per their ticket category, have to move in separate queues and reach a common entry point inside the temple premises, ensuring orderly darshan without mixing ticketed and free entry queues.
Dasoha arrangements
On the first Friday, temple authorities will manage the dasoha (mass food offering).
Mr. Reddy clarified that no private individuals or organisations will be allowed to distribute prasad atop the hills despite several requests. The official dasoha will be arranged behind the temple in an open space only on the first Friday, he added.
Security measures
Police Commissioner Seema Latkar stated that over 1,000 police personnel will be deployed on bandobast duties across Chamundi Hills and its foothills from Friday to Sunday. Security will be maintained throughout the day in three shifts. Two DCPs, 12 ACPs, two Additional SPs, 20 inspectors, and a women's KSRP team will be in-charge of security.
Additional CCTV cameras have been installed for surveillance, and movement on routes like Lalithadripura, Uttanahalli, and Tavarekere will be restricted on Ashada Fridays. Alternative routes will be notified to the public, she added.
To help devotees navigate, QR codes will be made available that guide them directly to designated parking areas and the bus stand, Ms. Latkar informed.
Traffic movement to the hill will be halted from 10 a.m. on Thursday, and only residents of Chamundi Hills with valid ID proof will be allowed entry thereafter, she told reporters.
Temple chief priest Shashishekar Dikshit, MCC Commissioner Syed Tanvir Asif, temple authority member secretary Roopa, ZP CEO Yukesh Kumar. and other officials were present.