The ‘Dodda Jathre’ of Srikanteshwara Swamy temple at Nanjangud will remain simple and the event will be confined to the rituals in accordance with the government guidelines as a safety precaution over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ‘Pancha Maha Rathotsava’ (car festival) which was scheduled on March 26 has been cancelled.
An order in this regard has been issued by Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri. The ‘Dodda Jathre’ rituals of the temple will be held from March 19 to 30. The decision to keep the jathre simple with no public gathering has been taken to contain the spread of the pandemic, a release said here.
Usually, the event attracts lakhs of devotees from many parts of the State. This is the second consecutive year that it is being celebrated in a simple manner.
Instead of ‘Pancha Maha Rathotsava’, in the presence of temple priests, the temple staff and some locals, permission has been given for performing the ritual in a symbolic and traditional manner on the temple premises using a small ‘ratha’, taking all government recommended precautions.
The Deputy Commissioner has ordered that no devotees from other States, districts and taluks would be given entry into the temple premises on the day of jathre barring the State guests, officers on government duty, emergency vehicles and the Nanjangud locals.
