Mysuru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has made elaborate transport arrangements for the annual Ashada Friday celebrations and Chamundeshwari Vardhanti at Chamundi Hill, anticipating a massive influx of devotees over the coming weeks.

Speaking about the arrangements, the Divisional Controller of KSRTC Mysuru Urban Division, Jagadish Kumar, told Star of Mysore that the earlier Rs. 300 darshan ticket has been discontinued. Devotees now have only two options for darshan — the Rs. 2,000 special darshan package and the free darshan.

To facilitate smooth transportation, KSRTC will deploy 50 city service buses on Ashada Fridays. In addition, 20 Volvo buses have been arranged for Friday, Saturday and Sunday to ferry devotees opting for the Rs. 2,000 special darshan package between the city and Chamundi Hill.

Bus services will run simultaneously from the Shashiranjan Grounds at the foot of Chamundi Hill and the KSRTC City Bus Stand (CBS), Mysuru, ensuring easier access for devotees travelling to the hill shrine.

Footwear will not be permitted

“We have also introduced strict guidelines for devotees visiting the temple. Footwear will not be permitted during darshan. Announcements will be made at the boarding point (Shashiranjan Grounds) and other key locations, advising devotees to leave their shoes or slippers either in their vehicles or at designated collection centres before proceeding for darshan,” he said.

Jagadish Kumar said, devotees who climb the hill on foot early in the morning will be given priority for darshan. The first batch of buses is expected to be allowed between 6.15 am and 6.30 am, after which the free darshan queue will move as scheduled.

KSRTC officials acknowledged that managing the crowd will be challenging as many devotees are expected to board buses from intermediate stops across the city, making enforcement of the footwear restriction more difficult than at controlled boarding points such as the Shashiranjan Grounds.

Strengthening the bus fleet

To strengthen its fleet, KSRTC has sought additional buses from its management.

The Division has already received 12 new buses and expects another 20 to 25 buses in the coming days to improve operational capacity during the festival.

Officials expect this year’s Ashada Friday celebrations to witness unprecedented crowds. As a contingency measure,  KSRTC has also drawn up a backup transport plan.

If the local fleet proves insufficient, the Corporation is prepared to requisition between 50 and 100 buses from neighbouring regions, including Mandya, Channapatna and Ramanagara, to ensure uninterrupted transport services.