BENGALURU: The century’s longest total lunar eclipse got some politicians to go the extra mile to protect themselves from the ‘inauspicious day’. With some astrologers predicting that Friday’s blood moon eclipse will bear ill-effects for the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, believers didn’t want to run the risk. While many took to temples, some performed special pujas to ward off evil.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy visited Tirupati temple and offered special puja to Lord Balaji along with his family members. The Gowda family are ardent believers in astrology and had visited the temple during the previous eclipse as well.Water resources minister D K Shivakumar, who is known to visit temples and mutts regularly, continued his temple hopping spree. PWD minister H D Revanna, apart from visiting Tirupati, had planned special prayers at his residence.
BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa, a staunch believer, decided to stay away from the public eye — purportedly on the advice of an astrologer. Yeddyurappa is at a naturopathy centre on the outskirts of Bengaluru for rejuvenation treatment spanning three days. Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje was seen visiting Mysuru’s Chamundeshwari temple on Friday.
Many political leaders visited Tumakuru on Friday to pay their last respects to Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s brother Dr G Shivaprasad’s mortal remains. The Deputy CM was in Tumakuru, by his family, all day. For leaders like former CM Siddaramaiah, BJP MP D V Sadananda Gowda and the younger ministers in the cabinet, it was business as usual with no temple visits or special prayers.