Siddaramaiah becomes first CM to offer customary bagina at KRS dam in June

Mandya: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered the customary bagina to River Cauvery at Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam, in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district on Monday, becoming the first CM to offer bagina at KRS in the month of June.

With copious rain in the Cauvery basin and also in the neighbouring Kerala state, there was a huge inflow to the dams, and the KRS dam filled to the maximum level for the first time in the month of June, from 1960. The water level at KRS reservoir reached the maximum level of 124.8 ft on June 29, Sunday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Mandya District incharge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa offered the customary bagina to River Cauvery, at 1.30 pm, on Monday.

The CM reached Mysuru airport at around 11.30 am and arrived at the KRS dam by road. He was welcomed by the district administration.

After offering bagina at the dam, the elected representatives offered puja to the idol of Goddess Cauvery on the premises.

Bagina

Special homas and other rituals were organised near Cauvery idol, by a team of priests led by scholar Bhanuprakash Sharma. He had prepared 40 baginas to be offered by the CM and other dignitaries.

Each bagina had a pair of bamboo baskets (mora), comprising coconut, banana, jaggery, five types of grains, turmeric, vermillion, betel and arecanut. The baginas have been prepared plastic-free, Sharma said.