It was a sea of humanity at the annual Siddharoodha Jatra Mahotsava in Hubballi on Thursday as people from across the region and neighbouring States landed in the city for the annual car festival.
Amid chanting slogans in praise of Sri Siddharoodha Swami, the devotees pulled the car of their favourite Siddharoodha Ajja (as the saint is fondly known) from in front of the Kailasamantapa to the arch of the Siddharoodha Mutt.
As some devotees jostled to pull the car and gave way to others to pull it further, thousands of devotees, who had gathered to watch the car festival, threw dates and bananas over it as a symbolic way of making an offering.
Several hundred people reached the mutt premises on Mahashivaratri (Wednesday) evening and on Thursday morning by taking out a foot march from their respective towns and villages. They were joined in the celebrations by several thousand people who had arrived by bus and private vehicles.
The mutt’s trust committee conducts weeklong rituals, religious and cultural programmes as part of the annual car festival and this year was no different. Several cultural and folk troupes have been performing on a regular basis and on Thursday too, they continued it.
The police made elaborate bandobast on account of the huge inflow of people and also restricted movement of vehicles on certain stretches to streamline traffic.
Several associations and organisations made arrangements to distribute cold drinks and prasadam to devotees on the way leading to the mutt.
Considering the huge participation, NWKRTC too made arrangements to run special buses to different places for the benefit of devotees till late in the night.
