Sub-Urban, City Bus Stands chock-a-block with thousands of women heading for temples

Mysore/Mysuru: The KSRTC Sub-Urban and City Bus Stands experienced an unusually high influx today as thousands of women took advantage of the ‘Shakti’ free travel scheme for women, introduced by the State Government.

The women, dressed up in their best sarees and wearing jewellery and Mysuru Mallige (jasmine) on their braids, flocked to the bus stands in large numbers to visit Chamundi Hill Temple, Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple in Nanjangud and other renowned Lord Shiva temples in around Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts seeking darshan of the deities on ‘Manneththina Amavasya’.

‘Manneththina Amavasya’, which signifies the beginning of Ashada Month, is widely celebrated across the State.

The festival is observed by farmers and their women folk to express their gratitude to the bullocks that plough the fields and help in sowing crops. On the day of ‘Manneththina Amavasya’ (clay mound new moon), a special worship will be conducted for clay figurines representing the bullocks.

Usually, agricultural activities begin with the onset of the monsoon season. Just before the start of the ‘Punarvasu’ rains, farmers perform the ritual of planting paddy, signifying the completion of the transplantation process. To celebrate this occasion, farmers observe ‘Manneththina Amavasya’.

Devotees from various districts, predominantly women, gathered at the City Bus Stand early in the morning to visit temples on this special Amavasya day falling on a Sunday. To accommodate the heavy rush, the KSRTC deployed 70 buses just to Chamundi Hill.

But as the hours passed, the KSRTC authorities struggled to meet the rising number of devotees and arranged additional buses for the Chamundi Hill route. There was also a significant demand for city buses heading to Srirangapatna.

A similar situation unfolded at the Sub-Urban bus stand, where women gathered to visit the Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple in Nanjangud, Nimishamba Temple near Srirangapatna, Adichunchanagiri Temple near Bellur Cross in Mandya district, Male Mahadeshwara Hills Temple in Chamarajanagar district, and other prominent temples.

Sources revealed that KSRTC authorities had to redirect buses from other routes to accommodate the surge in women passengers travelling to various temples. However, this sudden deployment led to frustration among passengers waiting for buses to their intended destinations or for buses arriving in the city from other places.