SHRAVANABELAGOLA: Even at age 86, it was not a tough task for former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to climb up 400 plus steps of Vindhyagiri Hills in Shravanabelagola on Saturday.Deve Gowda, along with his wife Chinnamma and other family members, visited the temple shrine and took part in the eighth day of veneration ceremony. While Gowda chose to scale the hills, his wife Chinnamma went in a ‘doli’.
The security personnel and officials who came along with Gowda were in shock when the JD(S)supremo said he wished to climb the hills. He refused to sit in the doli and took rest at the foothills before starting the uphill task. Several supporters came along with Gowda shouting slogans in his praise, his party and Lord Bahubali.
Two security personnel held Gowda and helped him climb the west side entrance of Vindhyagiri Hills. Last week, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had scaled the hills from the same entrance. Deve Gowda took rest in a temporary health centre created by Hassan district health department atop Vindhyagiri.
Later, Gowda also climbed the scaffolding along with his family members where he was received by chief pontiff of Shravanabelagola mutt, Charukeerthi Bhattarak swamiji. Gowda anointed the monolith of Lord Bahubali with water and milk and showered flowers on it. On the return journey too, Gowda refused doli and climbed down the hill.
“It’s indeed a great effort by Deve Gowda to scale the hills. During the last edition of Mahamastakabhisheka held in 2006, Deve Gowda and his wife had taken a doli. But this year he surprised everyone by climbing the hills at this age. Gowda has been an ardent devotee of Shravanabelagola shrine and Jain mutt for many years,” said a senior trustee of the Shravanabelagola mutt.