Hanur: The Ugadi Rathotsava at the famous M.M. Hills Temple in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district, which was scheduled to take place on Apr. 13, has been cancelled due to the spike in COVID-19 pandemic.

Following public demand, the Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner had allowed conduct of Rathotsava on Apr.13, limiting the number of devotees to 500. But as the Rathotsava cannot be held with such restrictions, the Car Festival has been cancelled, according to M.M. Hills Temple Development Authority Secretary Jayavibhavaswamy.

However, the customary rituals associated with the Rathotsava will be performed in a simple and symbolic manner till Apr. 13.

Last year too, Shivarathri Rathotsava, Ugadi Rathotsava and Deepavali Rathotsava were cancelled due to the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020.

With the district reporting a sudden surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases over the past few days, the District Administration has taken several precautionary and safety measures, including cancellation of Rathotsavas.