Chamarajanagar: In the wake of Covid pandemic and as a precautionary measure, the Religious Endowment Department has restricted entry of devotees on Saturdays to the historical Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple atop B.R. Hills in Yelandur taluk of Chamarajanagar district in the month of Shravana.

A large number of devotees visit the Ranganatha temple of B.R. Hills on Saturdays in the month of Shravana, which will begin from today (July 21). The administration has taken this decision to restrict the devotees to the temple in Shravana month in view of rising number of cases of                      infection in the State.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple located in BR Hills is a popular temple dedicated to Hindu God Ranganatha. The temple is atop the hillock Biligiri Rangana Betta and is situated at a distance of 24 kms from Yelandur and 90 kms from Mysuru. The hill temple, which has a history of over 500 years, is one of the important shrines of the district, located amidst serene surroundings. Every year, thousands of devotees and tourists arrive here to take darshan of Ranganathaswamy during Shravana masa. The temple, which is adored by lakhs of devotees, is also very sacred for                                     Soliga community.

The Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple has turned into a major tourist destination in recent years. Car festival, Chikka jathre, held after Sankranthi festival attracts more than 30,000 devotees and the Dodda jathre held in the month of April attracts lakhs. Around 5,000 to 8,000 devotees visit the temple on weekends, especially during Shravana month. In 2017, the hill temple was shut down for nearly two years for carrying out renovation works.

Temple Executive Officer S.M. Venkatesh Prasad has urged devotees to stay at home for their safety, offer prayers and observe Shravana Shanivara rituals at their homes in a meaningful and religious manner. This year, on other days, the district administration has taken the decision to allow devotees to the temple only during the stipulated time.