CHITRADURGA: It was a joyous celebration during the Hindu Mahasabha Ganesh immersion procession that was held in the Central Karnataka district of Chitradurga. Not only did people from Chitradurga join this festival, but devotees from different districts also joined the procession to bid adieu to Lord Ganesha.
However, no Covid SOP directed by the state government was followed as the participants forgot to wear masks, flouted social distancing and danced to the tunes of the drums and other folk music that were palyed during the immersion of the idol. The devotees of the HMS Ganeshotsav sang Bhajan's, weaved bhagwa dhwaj throughout the six kilometer long BD Road and Holalkere road.
The movement of the procession was very slow throughout the course. The procession which began at 11.00 am from the Jaindham in the city passed at a snail's pace through BD Road, Madakari circle, Ambedkar circle, SBM circle, Mahatma Gandhi circle, Sangolli Rayanna circle till Kanaka circle.
Even though district police gave a deadline of 3.00 PM for the organisers to finish the immersion procession, it didn't get over at 6.00 PM when the procession was passing through the Mahatma Gandhi circle. The efforts of police to speed up the procession went in vain as the crowd was in no mood to listen to their words.
The gigantic ten feet tall Ganesh idol completed its 21 days stay at the Jain Dham where it was placed and worshiped.
The entire city seemed to be smeared with saffron color as the organisers decorated with saffron flags and tapes. People holding broad flags were chanting slogans in the name of great leaders like Vivekananda, Shivaji and others all along the roads.
Apart from this tableau of various hindu leaders, the guise of Madakari Nayaka also the cynosure of the procession. Most important thing to be noted was the participants sung various patriotic songs and other songs to which the participants danced.
Folk troops like Chamala, Karadi Majalu, Drum beaters, Urime, Tamate and folk artists from various parts of the state were part of the procession.
Basavamurthy Madara Channaiah Swamy, Purushothammanada Puri swamy of Bhageeratha gurupeet, Shanthaveera Swamy of Kunchitiga gurupeet Hosadurga, Manjunatha Swamy of Tamilnadu, Basava Prabhu Madivala Machideva Swamy, Basavanagideva Swamy of Chalavadi gurupeet, Sevalal Swamy of Banajara gurupeet, Shivalingananda Swamy of Kabeerananda Ashram and Chitradurga MLA GH Thippareddy took part in the procession.
Speaking to The New Indian Express Basavamurthy Madara Channaiah Swamy said, "We decided not to hold Shobha Yatra and we requested the people not to assemble in these numbers amidst covid-19. The assembly showed unity and brotherhood. This Ganeshotsav is depicting this. This should spread all over India".
This Shobha Yatra is standing above religion, caste, community and creed. This clearly shows that we all Indians are one and we have to spread this brotherhood message to all the people of the country, he added.
Superintendent of Police Radhika G said, "The crowds started to join in large numbers, even though we tried to persuade the public to wear masks and speed up the procession, it went in vain. But the procession moved in a peaceful manner".