Overview
- A large crowd of devotees converged on Sri Chamundeshwari Temple on the first Ashada Friday, creating long lines that prompted tightened on‑site controls.
- The district administration barred private vehicles from hill ascent on Ashada Fridays and weekends and ran a special KSRTC fleet to move pilgrims from foothill pickup points.
- Authorities deployed about 70 special buses, including roughly 20 air‑conditioned buses used for the new ₹2,000 special‑darshan service that transports ticket holders directly to the temple.
- Mysuru district in‑charge Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah announced a formal VIP entry window of 5:30–9:30 a.m., saying the step will prevent VIP visits from disrupting regular darshan and help keep wait times under two hours.
- Officials set up extra queue lines, parking, CCTV, mobile toilets, drinking water, ambulances and health centres to manage the remaining Ashada Fridays while raising questions about equity as the fast‑track ticket cuts darshan time to under 30 minutes for paid holders.