Rs. 2,000 special darshan tickets earn Rs. 3.08 crore for Temple Authority
Mysuru: The Sri Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill witnessed a surge in devotees during this Ashada season, with 8.61 lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine over four Ashada Fridays, the subsequent weekends and the Sri Chamundeshwari Vardhanthi observed on Aug. 4, covering a total period of 13 days.
Devotees from across Karnataka and neighbouring States thronged the Hill shrine. This year, the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority earned a revenue of Rs. 3,08,42,000 through the sale of Rs. 2,000 special darshan tickets.
Ashada Fridays are considered most auspicious for the darshan of Goddess. According to data from the Authority, the first Ashada Friday on July 17, saw 55,000 devotees.
The footfall increased to 75,000 on July 24 and 98,500 on July 31 before peaking at 1.25 lakh on Aug. 7, last Ashada Friday. The Chamundeshwari Vardhanthi observance on Aug. 4 also drew an impressive 89,000 devotees.
The weekend crowds following Ashada Fridays also remained strong, with Saturdays and Sundays recording an average footfall between 36,000 and 78,000 devotees.
The data shows that Fridays accounted for 3,53,500 devotees or 41.1 percent of the total footfall. Saturdays drew 1,98,000 devotees (23.0 percent), while Sundays recorded 2,20,500 (25.6 percent).
The Chamundeshwari Vardhanthi on Aug. 4 accounted for 89,000 devotees (10.3 percent). Notably, the final weekend from Aug. 7 to Aug. 9 alone drew 2,78,000 devotees, representing 32.3 percent of the total 13-day footfall.
Special darshan figures
This year, the temple administration withdrew the Rs. 300 ticket option and offered only Rs. 2,000 special darshan tickets along with free darshan.
A total of 15,421 devotees opted for special darshan, generating Rs. 3,08,42,000 in revenue. The remaining 8,45,579 devotees availed themselves of the free darshan (Dharma Darshan) facility.
Interestingly, only 1.79 percent of the devotees opted for special darshan while the rest preferred free darshan.
KSRTC service
KSRTC Urban Divisional Controller Jagadish Kumar told Star of Mysore that the KSRTC operated 4,935 trips this year, including 2,522 trips in Karnataka Sarige buses, 602 Volvo trips and 1,811 City Bus Service trips.
The buses picked up passengers from Shashiranjan Grounds (Lalitha Mahal Grounds), City Bus Stand and various other places across the city and transported them to Chamundi Hill.
“The highest total of 470 trips was operated on July 17, while on Aug. 7, we operated 466 trips. In all, we earned a revenue of Rs. 82 lakh (Rs. 82,01,834) this Ashada season,” he said.
“We were fully prepared well in advance and had contingency plans to deploy an additional 100 buses, if required. Through meticulous planning and coordinated efforts, we successfully managed the transportation of devotees, ensuring smooth and efficient services,” he added.
Ashada Friday devotee footfall
| July 17 | Friday | 55,000 |
| July 24 | Friday | 75,000 |
| July 31 | Friday | 98,500 |
| Aug. 7 | Friday | 1,25,000 |
| Aug. 4 | Tuesday (Vardhanthi) | 89,000 |
This post was published on August 14, 2026 7:30 pm