Mysuru: The colossal Nandi Statue, located mid-way on Mysuru-Chamundi Hill Road, was this morning bathed in more than 49 sacred herbs and flowers, including milk, honey, cane juice, curds, ghee, payasam, sacred ash, dry fruits, tender coconut water, sandalwood, kumkum, turmeric, rice flour, banana and other fruits as devotees performed ‘Mahabhishekha.’

The event is being organised by the members of ‘Betta Hattuvara Balaga’ (a group of regular morning walkers to the hill) since the past nine years. 

The sacred ritual is performed annually on first Monday of Kartika month of the Hindu calendar. It is said that the practice of performing ‘Mahasbhishekha’ to the monolith existed during the reign of Wadiyars.

The ritual began at around 10.30 am. 

Prior to the ‘Mahabhishekha,’ the statue was cleaned with water and a number of priests, including Mallikarjuna and Ganesh, performed the abhishekha, which was witnessed by hundreds of devotees and tourists.

It may be recalled that a portion of Chamundi Hill along with the retaining wall had collapsed due to recent intermittent rains last month. The road between View Point and Nandi Statue atop Chamundi Hill had been temporarily closed for vehicular traffic resulting in fewer number of devotees witnessing the colourful annual event.

President of Balaga Subbaraja Urs, office-bearers Praveen, Vinay, Sridhar, Srinivas, Shivu and others were present.