All-religion prayers and bhajans, and garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi marked Sarvodaya Divas here on Sunday.
The urn containing the ashes of Gandhiji, which is kept in the district treasury, was carried in the morning to the Gandhi mantap by the district administration, police officials and members of the Kodagu Sarvodaya Samiti accompanied by the police band.
In-charge Deputy Commissioner K.M. Chandre Gowda, president of the Madikeri City Municipal Council H.M. Nanda Kumar, Superintendent of Police Manjunath Annigeri, members of the Sarvodaya samiti and president of the Kodagu District Christian Welfare Association K.T. Baby Mathew were among those who carried the urn. The DAR police sounded the bugles and fired three rounds in the air to pay homage to Gandhiji.
A siren went off at 11 a.m. followed by another at 11.02 a.m. when all vehicles came to a halt along the Mahatma Gandhi Road (Raja Seat road). A two-minute silence was observed. Kodagu District and Sessions judge Ashok Nijagannavar and other judges joined the participants in taking the urn back from the Gandhi Mantap.
