Hassan: The revered Hasanamba temple in Hassan opened its doors today at 12:10 pm, marking the auspicious first Thursday of the Hindu month of Ashvija. The grand opening, accompanied by traditional rituals, drew thousands of devotees chanting the name of the temple’s presiding deity, Goddess Hasanamba.
The ceremony began with Nanjaraje Urs from the Mysuru royal family symbolically cutting a banana stalk, following which the temple doors were unlocked. Prominent religious figures, including Adichunchanagiri Math’s Nirmalanandanatha Swami and Siddaganga Math’s Siddalinga Swamy, were in attendance alongside Karnataka’s district in-charge minister K N Rajanna. Other key attendees included MP Shreyas Patel, MLAs H P Swaroop Prakash and Cement Manju, and Karnataka Housing Board chairman K M Shivalinge Gowda.
In a fascinating tradition, temple authorities noted that the earthen lamp lit before the temple’s closure last year is still burning, and offerings from the previous opening remain fresh.
Minister Rajanna mentioned that during last year’s Hasanamba-Siddeshwara temple fair, around 14.4 lakh devotees visited the temple, and this year, they anticipate the crowd to increase to nearly 20 lakh.
Long queues of devotees formed early on Thursday to catch a glimpse of the goddess. The temple will remain open daily from 6 am until November 3, allowing devotees ample time for darshan.
