Hasanamba temple in Hassan decorated with colourful flowers on the eve of the festival.
Credit: Special arrangement
Hassan: The annual Hasanamba Jatra Mahotsava will be starting from October 24, Thursday, after the opening of sanctum sanctorum as per the tradition. The temple will be open for the year till November 3. Out of 11 days, the public will be allowed to have darshan only for nine days.
Adichunchanagiri seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami and Siddaganga seer Siddalinga Swami will be present during the opening of the sanctum sanctorum at 12 noon, on Thursday. Later, it would be given a fresh coat of paint and the presiding deity decorated. Hence, there will be no public darshan on the first day. The devotees can have darshan from October 25.
The darshan will be from 4 am to 7 pm on October 25. From October 26 to November 1, the devotees can have darshan from 4 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 3 am. On November 2, darshan will be available from 4 am to 5 pm and from 8 pm to 6 am. The doors will be closed on November 3. People will not be allowed to have darshan on the last day.
For the first time, there will be distribution of Laddu prasada to the devotees. The temple management will be preparing Laddu with the technologies of ISKCON. For every special darshan ticket of Rs 1,000, two laddus will be given. For a Rs 300 special ticket, one laddu will be distributed. Besides, it is also sold at Rs 60 for two laddus at the prasada counter.
20 lakh people
Around 20 lakh people are expected to visit the temple from October 24 to November 2.
The doors of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple are opened on the first Thursday, following the full moon of the Ashwini month. The temple doors are closed the day after Balipadyami.
The doors will be opened as per the tradition and rituals, accompanied by playing of musical instruments. The temple has been decorated with colourful flowers. The members of the Talawara family will be present. A member of the Arasu family will cut the banana plant in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Narasimharaja Arasu, who has been performing the task since 1996, cuts the stem, after which the temple doors are opened.
The district administration has made all arrangements for the smooth darshan, providing all basic facilities like drinking water, shades, tent and others.