A sea of devotees throng car festival atop Chamundi Hill

Royal scion accompanied by devotees pulls the chariot

Over 1,000 devotees participated in the ‘rathotsava’ (car festival) of Goddess Chamundeshwari atop Chamundi Hill in the city on Thursday. Keeping in line with the tradition, the religious event was conducted between 7.50 am and 8.23 am.

Braving chilly weather atop the hill, devotees thronged the shrine, even as the ‘utsava murthy’ of the Goddess temporarily consecrated in the old wooden chariot was pulled around the temple. The chariot was also covered with a safety net to prevent any damage to the idol. 

Earlier, royal scion Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his wife Pramodadevi Wadiyar arrived at the temple, ahead of the festival. As is the tradition, the royals brought along with them the jewellery, later emblazoned on the deity.

Clad in white long coat and dhoti, and the traditional Mysore Peta, Wadiyar accompanied by devotees, also pulled the rope of the chariot to a distance, flagging off the event. 

Devotees chanted slogans hailing the Goddess, while indigenous cannon balls were blasted in keeping with the tradition.

The religious event falls every year after Navaratri and ends with the ‘theppotsava’ (coracle festival) at Devikere, a pond atop the hill on October 18 from 7 pm onwards. 

The theppotsava is also one of the much awaited events with the idol of the Goddess taken in a procession on the coracle. 

The city police had also made elaborate security arrangements with police personnel of Krishanraja sub-division comprising several police stations that were deployed on duty.