Trineshwaraswamy Temple in Palace premises to be open on Saturday and Sunday too

Mysore/Mysuru: Shiva Temples across the city is gearing up for tomorrow’s Mahashivarathri celebrations.

Accordingly, preparations are in full swing at the famed Trineshwaraswamy Temple in Mysore Palace premises, where the deity is specially decorated and adorned with ‘Chinnada Kolaga’ (Golden Mask) for the festival.

The 11-kg Chinnada Kolaga, which was kept in the District Treasury at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, was brought under tight Police security to the Palace premises, where it was handed over to the temple authorities.

Special rituals will be performed to the Kolaga, following which the presiding  deity will be adorned. The festival rituals will start from early morning tomorrow and the temple will be opened for devotees from 6 am.

The temple, with the deity adorned with Chinnada Kolaga, will be open for devotees for three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) perhaps for the first time as weekend rush is expected with Mahashivarathri falling on Friday followed by Second Saturday and Sunday being a public holiday.

While the temple will be open for devotees from 6 am till midnight tomorrow (Mar. 8), it will be open from 9 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm on Mar. 9 and 10. On Mar. 11, the Chinnada Kolaga will be brought back to the District Treasury.

With the temple authorities expecting a huge rush of devotees on all the three days, counters have been set up at different points around the temple for distribution of prasada to devotees.

Other than the regular entry to the Palace, the devotees will also be allowed from Jayamarthanda Gate on the eastern side of the Palace too as a streamlining measure and crowd control, it is learnt.

Muzrai Tahsildar Vidyulatha, Chamundi Hill Temple Administrative Officer Krishna, Palace Security Division ACP Chandrashekar, Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya, District Fire Officer Gururaj, Palace Muzrai Temples Manager Sheela, Trineshwaraswamy Temple priests Santhanam and others were present when the Chinnada Kolaga was brought to the temple from the District Treasury.

Temple staff were seen cleaning 101 Shivalingas at Gurukula on Ramanuja Road on the eve of Mahashivarathri this morning. All Male Mahadeshwara Temples across the city were being readied for tomorrow’s celebrations and Anna Santarpane and prasada distribution will be arranged at many temples with security arrangements in place.

At Bandipur

Special pujas will be performed at Tavarekatte Mahadeshwara Temple near Old Bandipur Counter in Bandipur tomorrow. Tribals from Gundlupet and Mudumalai regions visit the Temple and celebrate Shivarathri by performing various rituals.

On Saturday, general public will be allowed to offer prayers at the Temple with arrangements for pick and drop in Safari vehicles.

Special buses have also been arranged from Mysuru to Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar.  As more people will be visiting Sreekanteshwara Swamy Temple in Nanjangud and take a holy dip (Punya Snana) in River Kapila, bandobast has been made for their safety.