BENGALURU: Congress MLC and Vice-Chairman of the State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Monitoring Committee Dinesh Gooligowda has credited the state government’s Shakti scheme for contributing to a significant increase in the number of devotees visiting Hasanamba temple in Hassan.
In a letter to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Gooligowda congratulated the government on the impact of the scheme, which provides free bus travel for women.
He pointed out that the number of devotees visiting the temple had increased from around six lakh in 2022 to over 30 lakh in 2026. The footfall stood at 14.40 lakh in 2023, 17.47 lakh in 2024 and 26.13 lakh in 2025.
He said free bus travel encouraged women, particularly those from rural areas and senior citizens, to visit religious places without worrying about transportation expenses.
According to the figures cited in his letter, 875.89 crore free journeys had been recorded by women under the Shakti scheme between its launch and November 10, 2026, with the state government spending Rs 23,202.22 crore on the scheme.
He said the increase in temple visits reflected the wider social and cultural impact of the Congress government’s guarantee schemes and congratulated the CM for fulfilling the party’s electoral promise.
HASANAMBA TEMPLE DOORS CLOSE AFTER 12-DAY FESTIVAL
hassan: The doors of the famous Hasanamba temple were closed exactly at 1.35pm on Wednesday amid the chanting of shlokas and continuous rituals performed by priests for nearly three hours. It marked the culmination of the 12-day annual festivities of Goddess Hasanamaba.
A team of priests led by Nagaraj locked the temple doors in the presence of District Minister K M Shivalingegowda, Deputy Commissioner K S Latha Kumari, Superintendent of Police Shubhanwita and temple administrator Jagadish Gangannanavar.
For the first time in recent years, the 12-day Hasanamba and Siddeshwara festivities concluded without any disputes or confrontations between the revenue and police departments over temple entry arrangements. Over 30 lakh devotees visited the temple during the festivities.
The temple generated a revenue of Rs 25.6 crore through the sale of special entry tickets priced at Rs 1,000 and Rs 300, as well as Hasanamba laddu prasadam.