The Hassan district administration is contemplating sending a proposal to the Muzrai Department on keeping Hasanamba temple open at least for a month or two in a year. The long queues to have darshan of the deity have prompted the district administration to think on these lines. A section of the public have also raised this demand.
Rohini Sindhuri, Deputy Commissioner of Hassan, told The Hindu: “We are considering submitting a proposal to the Endowment Commissioner. Last year, over five lakh people visited the temple. This year, it crossed six lakh. Considering this huge response, there have been suggestions on keeping the temple open for at least a month or two in a year.”
The temple is opened on the first Thursday after full moon day of Ashwayuja month and closed a day after Balipadyami. In a year, the temple is open for a maximum of 15 days or minimum of 10 days. This time, the temple was opened on October 12 and closed on 21. “There are some people who argue that the speciality of the temple is that it is opened only for a short period in a year,” Ms. Sindhuri said.
This year, the administration had introduced special entry tickets of ₹1,000 each. Thousands of people purchased them hoping for an entry without delay. However, on the last day, even those people with the special tickets had to wait long to enter the temple.
