Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi and other members of the family feeding the cow as part of Gruha Pravesha rituals in city yesterday in the presence of their Minister-son Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah.

A view of the new house of former CM Siddaramaiah on Vishwamanava Double Road in Kuvempunagar, Mysuru

Mysuru: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a private housewarming ceremony at his newly constructed residence on Vishwamanava Double Road in Kuvempunagar yesterday, coinciding with Ganesha Chaturthi.

The Gruha Pravesha rituals began on Sunday night, with activity at the residence drawing the attention of neighbours. The house, constructed on an 80×120-ft site, has been under construction for nearly three years.

Siddaramaiah arrived in Mysuru yesterday and took part in the rituals, including Ganapathi Homa and Gana Homa.

The ceremony was attended only by around 30 to 40 close family members, including Siddaramaiah’s brothers and relatives of his wife B.M. Parvathi. No other politicians or public figures were invited.

His son and Urban Development Minister and Mysuru District Minister Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah oversaw the arrangements

The outer areas of the bungalow were enclosed with blue pandals, keeping the proceedings away from public view. Security personnel were deployed at the entrance. However, the doors, entrances and windows of the residence were decorated with elaborate floral arrangements.

Owning a home in Mysuru

The completion of the bungalow marks Siddaramaiah owning a personal residence in Mysuru after he sold his earlier house in Vijayanagar. He had been residing in a house belonging to his close associate Mariswamy in T.K. Layout and had often stated publicly that he did not own a house in Mysuru.

The private ceremony has also triggered discussions on social media, with some critics questioning the contrast between Siddaramaiah’s public image as a socialist who has spoken against superstition and the luxury of the newly constructed residence and the religious rituals performed there.

Bengaluru stay in ‘Cauvery’

In Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah currently continues to occupy ‘Cauvery’, the official residence allotted to him during his tenure as CM. The residence has been allotted to his son.

According to sources, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah reached an amicable understanding over the use of the ‘Cauvery’ residence. Under the arrangement, Siddaramaiah is expected to retain and continue staying at ‘Cauvery’ until 2028.

Meanwhile, the historic ‘Kumara Krupa’ bungalow has been designated as the official residence of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The 160-year-old structure was chosen by Shivakumar for his official duties instead of the traditional Chief Ministerial residences ‘Krishna’, ‘Cauvery’ and ‘Anugraha.’