Siddaramaiah to become first Karnataka CM to offer traditional ritual in June

Kushalnagar: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will offer the traditional ‘bagina’ at KRS Dam in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, on June 30, as the reservoir has reached its full capacity — a rare occurrence for this time of year.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to arrive at the dam around 10.30 am to offer prayers to the Cauvery River and conduct the ritual. Dy.CM D.K. Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, along with Mandya MLAs, will accompany him.

This year’s early filling of the dam marks a historic milestone, as it is the first time in 84 years that the KRS reservoir has reached full capacity in June.

Traditionally, the bagina ceremony is performed in July or August. By conducting the ritual this early, Siddaramaiah will become the first Karnataka Chief Minister to offer bagina in June.

The bagina consists of a saree, blouse fabric, flowers, fruits, bangles, turmeric-vermilion (arishina-kumkuma) and rice placed on a bamboo mora (tray).

After the offering, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will pay homage at Cauvery statue on the dam premises before proceeding to perform a similar ritual at Kabini Reservoir in H.D. Kote.

Since the construction of the KRS Dam, which began in 1911 and was completed in 1932, water has been released in June only twice: In 1941 and now in 2025, after an 84-year gap. Typically, the dam releases water during July, August or September, once the reservoir reaches its full capacity of 124.80 feet.

A tradition dating back to 1979

The bagina ritual at Karnataka’s reservoirs was initiated in 1979 by the then Chief Minister Devaraj Urs. Since then, no Chief Minister has had the opportunity to perform the ceremony in June — until now.

Last year, on July 29, Siddaramaiah, along with Shivakumar and other Ministers, offered bagina at the KRS Dam. While Governors have occasionally participated in the past, the ritual is typically reserved for the CM.

The only instance of a Governor performing the offering was in 1988 when Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah offered bagina as Karnataka Governor. Since then, the tradition has remained exclusively with the State’s  Chief Ministers.