In an apparent violation of COVID-19 guidelines, several temples and mutts have organised annual car festivals and other events this fortnight. Most of them are in northern Karnataka.
On Tuesday night, thousands of devotees gathered at the Gavi Mutt in Koppal to pull the decorated rath of the mutt across town. The ritual that began after midnight, was over before sunrise.
The district administration had issued orders banning the annual jatra and rath yatra in Gavi Mutt and festivities in other temples and mutts.
The five-day annual jatra in Mukti Mutt in Bhootaramanahatti ended on Wednesday. Each day’s rituals saw hundreds of people gather at the mutt. The inauguration on Sankranti day and the valedictory function on Wednesday drew the largest crowds.
The Bagalkot police have filed a case against the organisers of the Banashankari temple’s annual Jatra in Badami taluk. The jatra held on the temple premises two days after Sankranti, drew thousands of farmers from nearby villages. Some persons broke open the barricades and entered the temple premises to participate in the rituals. Police had a difficult time to control the crowd. They had to resort to caning to stop the crowd from entering the front porch of the temple. Estimates of the crowd on Monday vary between 60,000 and 1.5 lakh.
In Saundatti in Belagavi district, the police had to use force to stop the huge crowd that tried to enter the Yallamma temple on Banada Hunnime on Monday.
Some cultural events have also been held in violation of the COVID-19 rules. The Belagavi city police filed a First FIR against Chavat Galli Yuva Sanghatana that organised a buffalo race in Chavat Galli in Belagavi on Friday. The Sambhaji Youth Association organised a celebration to commemorate the ascension of Sambhaji, son of Shivaji on Sunday. MLA Anil Benake participated in both the events.
Similarly, there was a big crowd in the Huligemma Devi temple in Munirabad in Koppal district on Tuesday. Most of the festivities were followed, but the other rituals like curing those overcome with evil spirits that are held on the weekends, were not held.
Other festivals held in January include the annual car festival in Ambai Devi temple in Sindhanur in Raichur district. At the Mailara Mallanna temple in Hoovina Hadagali on the border of Haveri and Vijaya Nagara district, fasting of the Goravas, the self -flagellation, and other rituals were held.
Temples and mutts in other parts of Karnataka also organised festivals. They include the Rangantha Swami temple in Chikkamagaluru, the Sri Kanteshwar temple in Nanjangudu.
Ravi Kotargasti, Assistant Director of the Department of Endowment, lamented that despite repeated reminders and prohibitions, people continued to form crowds in temples.
“Some devotees argue that they have remained at home for two years, without celebrating any festivals, and that they can no longer remain isolated. Some say that they are weary of continued restrictions. But it is difficult to argue with them that health concerns,” he said.
