Devotees throng Chamundi hills for ‘Vardhanti Utsava’

A large number of devotees witnessed Sri Chamundeshwari Vardhanti Utsava atop Chamundi hills in Mysuru on Monday, July 10.

A large number of devotees witnessed Sri Chamundeshwari Vardhanti Utsava atop Chamundi hills in Mysuru on Monday, July 10.

The Vardhanti Utsava commenced around 10:30 a.m. with the members of the erstwhile royal family Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and his wife Trishikha Kumari Wadiyar pulling the decorated ‘Pallakki’ carrying with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, for a distance.

Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy joined them in pulling the ‘pallakki’. The flower bedecked palanquin was carried around the temple by the devotees amidst loud cheers from the huge crowd that had gathered on the hilltop to witness the rituals.

The temple was specially decorated with a variety of flowers on the occasion. In view of the Vardhanti Utsava, elaborate security by the city police was deployed as a large congregation of devotees was anticipated like every year.

The KSRTC operated free bus rides to the hilltop from the makeshift bus stand near Lalitha Mahal Palace Helipad on the foothills. No private vehicles were allowed to the temple as a measure to prevent congestion barring the vehicles of VVIPs and VIPs.

Many devotees reached the hilltop climbing steps in view of the special occasion. There were long queues of devotees for both dharma darshan and special darshana. The fourth and the last Friday of Ashada season falls on July 14 and the number of devotees on that day is also expected to be high.

The last three Fridays of the season witnessed heavy rush and on all the three Fridays free bus rides to the hilltop were operated to ease traffic congestion on the hills.