Night-time free meals atop Hill Temple

Starting tonight, prasadam will be offered between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm

Mysuru: In response to the growing number of devotees visiting Sri Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill, one of South India’s most revered pilgrimage sites, Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority has announced a new initiative to provide free meals during the night.

This much-needed service will begin on Sept. 5 (tonight), offering relief to late-night visitors who often miss out on food due to the unavailability of prasadam after evening hours.

Chamundi Hill, famous for its religious significance and the Temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari, has seen a sharp increase in visitors from across the State and beyond. Devotees from all corners of the region visit the Hill Shrine seeking blessings, with peak days being Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

A steady influx of devotees has highlighted the need for additional services, especially during night hours, as many visitors arriving late often find no access to food. This issue has now been addressed with the introduction of the night-time Dasoha, ensuring that no devotee leaves the Temple without having the prasadam.

Morning, afternoon and night meals are provided daily to the devotees at M.M. Hills in Chamarajanagar, facilitated by the Male Mahadeshwara Temple Development Authority.

Now Chamundeshwari Temple Development Authority too is following this system. The decision was made at the first meeting of Authority last Tuesday, chaired by CM Siddaramaiah.

Expansion of ‘Dasoha’

Currently, the Temple offers breakfast from 7 am to 10.30 am and lunch from 1 pm to 3.30 pm. However, in light of the overwhelming demand, the Temple authorities have decided to extend the Dasoha service to the night as well. Starting Sept. 5, devotees will now be served free meals between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm, with the provision to extend the service till 10 pm if necessary. This initiative aims to ensure that all devotees, regardless of their arrival time, can receive the prasadam.

Dasoha Bhavan

The concept of providing free meals at Chamundi Hill is not new. The construction of Dasoha Bhavan was initiated in 1998-99 in response to repeated requests from devotees.

By 2003-04, the Bhavan was inaugurated and lunch services commenced. In the years following, breakfast services were also introduced to meet the needs of morning visitors. This extension of night-time services marks a significant step in improving the overall experience for devotees.

Meeting devotee needs

Chamundi Hill attracts thousands of devotees on certain auspicious days, while attendance tends to decrease on others. Based on this pattern, Authority has strategically planned the night-time meal distribution to cater to the fluctuating crowd sizes. Initially, the service will accommodate a limited number of devotees until word spreads about this new provision.

Authority Member-Secretary M.J. Roopa told SOM that the introduction of night-time Dasoha addresses the long-standing demand from devotees who visit Chamundi Hill late in the evening. “This initiative will ensure that everyone receives prasadam, enhancing their overall pilgrimage experience. With these facilities, Chamundi Hill reaffirms its status as a well-organised pilgrimage site, offering quality services that align with the spiritual and physical needs of its visitors,” she added.