Hassan: The historic Hassanamba Festival in Karnataka witnessed an overwhelming turnout this year, with over 23 lakh devotees visiting the shrine, making it one of the largest congregations of worshippers in recent years. The grand annual event not only saw a record-breaking crowd but also generated more than ₹20 crore in revenue from ticket sales, prasadam, and offerings.
Devotees expressed immense satisfaction over the arrangements, with many saying that this year’s management and facilities were far superior compared to previous years. Several pilgrims said they were able to complete the darshan in just 15 minutes on Tuesday morning, a major improvement from the usual long queues.
By afternoon, however, lines swelled again as thousands gathered to offer prayers to the presiding deity Hassanamba, revered as the guardian goddess of Hassan.
Among the visitors were an Indian-origin couple from Sydney, Australia, who flew down specifically for the darshan.
“We plan our holidays around the Hassanamba festival every year. The arrangements have improved tremendously over the last decade,” said the couple.
The temple administration confirmed that darshan will end tomorrow, marking the closure of the sanctum sanctorum for the year. The final day of public darshan will be on Thursday, with doors open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. followed by rituals and night prayers until midnight. The temple doors will be ritually sealed at 12 noon the next day.
Temple officials said that the Hassanamba hundi (offering box) alone contributed a significant share to the revenue. “As of Monday morning, we recorded ₹20 crore in total income from ticket sales, laddoo prasadam, and offerings,” an official confirmed.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: Hassanamba festival: ಹಾಸನಾಂಬೆ ಉತ್ಸವಕ್ಕೆ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಭಕ್ತರ ಮಹಾಸಂಗಮ, ₹20 ಕೋಟಿ ಆದಾಯ — ನಾಳೆ ಕೊನೆಯ ದರ್ಶನದ ದಿನ
The 14-day Hassanamba festival, celebrated with grandeur and devotion, will conclude tomorrow, leaving behind a record of faith, organization, and prosperity for the temple town of Hassan.
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