Hassan festival to become state-level Naadahabba: Minister

CH NEWS, Hassan The annual Hasanamba festival will be developed as 'Hassan Naadahabba', on the lines of Mysuru Dasara, from next year to showcase the district's history and cultural heritage, Excise Minister and Hassan District In-charge Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda announced. Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the annual Hasanamba darshan festival and Siddeshwara Swamy Jatra Mahotsava, he said this year's celebrations had attracted a record number of devotees. According to the minister, more than 30 lakh devotees visited the temple. He said the final count, including devotees waiting in the queue, was expected to reach 30.07 lakh. He also appreciated the priests for cooperating with the administration to reduce the afternoon puja and cleaning break from nearly three hours to around 30 minutes. This arrangement, he said, enabled an additional two to four lakh devotees to have darshan. Revenue Collection Expected to Cross Rs. 30 Crore The minister said Rs. 24.31 crore was collected through special darshan tickets priced at Rs. 300 and Rs. 1,000, while laddu sales generated another Rs. 1.29 crore. He said the laddus were supplied at a cost of Rs. 40 to avoid making profits from devotees. After counting the hundi collections, total revenue was expected to exceed Rs. 30 crore. He also announced plans to reduce the deployment of government employees to 10 per cent next year, with staff working in supervisory roles on a weekly rotation. Private agencies and more than 2,000 Scouts and Guides volunteers would handle crowd management and access control. Minister Responds to Political Criticism Shivalinge Gowda appealed to political leaders not to raise controversies during the religious festival. He said he would continue to respond to allegations against him and prove his position to the public. He also promised to avoid harsh language and adopt a more respectful style of communication while working with leaders and officials across the district. He further assured that stalled development projects in Hassan would be taken up soon and that his administration would focus on public welfare. Referring to the difficulties faced by farmers due to inadequate rainfall, the minister said he had prayed to Goddess Hasanamba for timely rains, good crops and relief from the hardships faced by farming families. Hassan MP Shreyas Patel, Deputy Commissioner K.S. Latha Kumari, Superintendent of Police Shubhanvitha and other officials attended the press conference.