No entry for public as temple renovation under progress

Mysore/Mysuru: Skanda Shashti of Lord Subramanyeshwaraswamy, a major festival held during Margashira Masa, was celebrated with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm across the city with devotees thronging the temples in large numbers to offer their prayers to the Serpent God.

Shashti always used to be celebrated on a grand scale with devotion at Sri Subramanyeshwaraswamy Temple near Siddalingapura on Mysuru-Bengaluru Road by organising Jatra Mahotsava. But this time, owing to the ongoing renovation works of the temple, the celebrations have been restricted to just traditional and religious rituals by the temple staff sans public entry.

Because of this, at a Prangana behind the Lord’s temple, ‘Mahanyasapoorvaka Rudrabhisheka’ was performed at 5 am today followed by other rituals including Abhisheka and Sahasranamarchane. The place was decorated with flowers. The public were prohibited from entering the temple premises.

For the first time in the history of Sri Subramanyeshwaraswamy Temple at Siddalingapura, the deity was offered pujas without adorning it with Silver Mask.

Every year on the occasion of Shashti, the Silver Mask used to be brought from the Mysore Palace, the Moola Vigraha was decorated with it and pujas were offered to the deity. Since renovation works are going on in the temple this time, the temple Archaka wrote a letter to the Palace officials and asked them not give the Silver Mask this time.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Archaka of the temple V. Subramanya said that since renovation works are going on, the Skanda Shashti celebrations are being carried out at Prangana behind the temple.

“An iron enclosure has been provided to the basic anthill to ensure there is no harm to its existence. We have performed all the traditional and religious rituals associated with Skanda Shashti. People from neighbouring villages came yesterday and offered puja and tomorrow also they will come. Skanda Shashti is being celebrated by offering milk to the anthill,” he concluded.