Mysore/Mysuru: With the first auspicious Ashada Friday pooja set to take place at Goddess Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill on July 12, the District Administration has made all necessary arrangements for devotees to have a hassle-free darshan of the presiding deity.

Thousands of devotees from city and beyond are expected to participate in the Ashada Friday rituals in the month of July. This year, the Ashada Fridays fall on July 12, 19, 26 and August 2, with the Chamundeshwari Vardhanti being held on July 27.

On July 7, senior officers from District Administration and City Police, including DC G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Additional DC P. Shivaraj, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, DCP (Law & Order) M. Muthuraj and DCP (Crime & Traffic) S. Jahnavi, visited the Hill shrine to oversee the arrangements.

In their earlier roles in Mysuru, Lakshmikanth Reddy served as MCC Commissioner and Seema Latkar was SP. Both have experience handling Dasara crowds and security. They instructed their staff on measures to ensure devotees are not inconvenienced and that the events proceed incident-free.

They later met with the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple management committee members and executive officers to provide instructions on crowd control, queue management, and facilities for devotees, including drinking water and toilets.

Ban on vehicle entry

There is a ban on the entry of all types of vehicles to the Hill on all Ashada Fridays and Vardhanti. Vehicle parking arrangements have been made near Lalitha Mahal Helipad for the benefit of devotees, who are required to take free KSRTC buses to reach the hill.

The parking ground can accommodate 2,000 two-wheelers and about 1,000 four-wheelers and other passenger vehicles. Additionally, display of flex banners, boards and other publicity materials is prohibited and there will be no special passes issued.