Mysore/Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered ‘Bagina’ at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam at Srirangapatna Taluk in Mandya District at 12.15 pm today, following traditional rituals performed by priests.

The ‘Bagina,’ placed on the traditional ‘mora,’ contained saree, a blouse piece, flowers, fruits, bangles, ‘arishina-kumkuma’ and rice. After the Bagina offering, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, prayed at the Cauvery statue located on the Dam premises.

The ceremony was attended by Agriculture and Mandya District Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy, Mysuru District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh and MLAs Tanveer Sait, Ganiga Ravi Kumar, Rameshbabu Bandisiddegowda, P.M. Narendraswamy and A.R. Krishnamurthy, among others.

As the dignitaries came, a team of priests led the procession,

chanting mantras. Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the Mandya MP, skipped the event. He informed reporters yesterday that he would not attend due to his commitments in New Delhi at the ongoing Parliament session.

Although the event was scheduled to start at the auspicious muhurat of 11 am, it was delayed by an hour. The KRS Dam, filled to its full capacity, prompted the tradition of the CM offering ‘Bagina’ to the river, which is vital for the region and Bengaluru.

The tradition of offering Bagina was initiated by former CM D. Devaraj Urs in 1979. This is the sixth time the ritual has been performed in the last decade and the third time of Siddaramaiah.  He previously offered Bagina in 2013 and 2014. Due to drought, the Dam did not reach its maximum level in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Despite returning to power in 2023, Siddaramaiah was unable to offer Bagina last year due to a failed monsoon.

Pump House to KRS Dam decorated

The road from Pump House Circle to the KRS Dam was adorned with numerous flex banners featuring portraits of Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Dr. Mahadevappa. Every electric pole and roadside was decorated with these banners leading up to the Dam.

Tight security measures were in place at the Dam for the event, with mobile phone jammers installed due to the presence of VIPs. At the Dam entrance, folk performances were organised, including Dollu Kunitha, Patada Kunitha and the traditional Kodava Ummathat. The artistes had assembled early in the morning and waited until the dignitaries arrived. Fortunately, the weather was clear and there was no rain.

Typically, the area where the CM offers ‘Bagina’ at the Dam and the stage is decorated. This time, however, the entire Dam premises was elaborately decorated, including the walls adorned with Bhuvaneshwari (Kannada) flags.

A red carpet lined the walking path and the area housing the Goddess Cauvery Statue was also festively decorated with hanging flower garlands. German tents were erected across the stage and the public area to shield attendees from the rain.

The dignitaries, including the CM, elected representatives and officials, travelled in two KSTDC luxury buses from the Government Guest House in Mysuru to KRS Dam. Later, the CM, Dy.CM and other dignitaries travelled to H.D. Kote to offer ‘Bagina’ at the Kabini Dam.