Hassan: The 12-day Hassanamba Darshanotsava concluded on a grand note, attracting a record 30.07 lakh devotees. Following the massive turnout, the district administration has decided to develop the annual festival as a major state-level event on the lines of Mysuru Dasara.
District In-charge Minister Shivalinge Gowda said future editions would feature larger cultural and sporting programmes to enhance the festival’s appeal.
The temple generated ₹25.60 crore in revenue through ticket sales and other sources, including ₹6.04 crore from ₹300 tickets, ₹13.18 crore from ₹1 tickets, ₹5.80 crore through online bookings and ₹1.29 crore from laddu prasada sales. The figures were announced before the hundi collections were counted.
The minister congratulated Deputy Commissioner and district officials for the successful arrangements. He also apologised for any inconvenience caused to devotees and urged political leaders to keep politics away from the religious event.
Describing the large turnout as a matter of pride for Hassan, Gowda said he had prayed to Goddess Hassanamba for good rainfall and relief from farmers’ hardships.