Hassan: Lakhs of devotees flocked to have a glimpse of Goddess Hasanamba on Monday. However, district minister Krishna Byre Gowda urged the devotees keen to visit the temple to do so on or before Friday, as the rush would increase during the weekend.It has been four days since the public viewing began, and so far, more than five lakh people have visited the goddess. The viewing of the diety was halted at 7pm on Saturday and resumed at 5am on Sunday. Despite the huge rush, all devotees were able to have a glimpse of the goddess within a few hours.The number of visitors increased, and by 8am on Sunday, a record amount of Rs 2.24 crore was collected from the sale of passes and laddus, according to revenue department officer Hemalatha.Devotees moved smoothly through all the queue lines arranged for viewing. Meanwhile, some elderly people and children got separated from their families, but after an emergency call from the temple administration, they were reunited with their family members.The devotees with Rs 1,000 tickets had darshana of the deity in less than 10 minutes, while the Rs 300 ticket holders took darshana in 10 to 30 minutes. All arrangements have been running smoothly, and the viewing arranged for dignitaries has been proceeding without glitches. Due to the expected large crowd from Oct 18 to 22, Krishna Byre Gowda requested devotees to try and visit before Oct 18. Over 700 Scouts and Guides, Rovers and Rangers campers are working as part of the festival.There are 280 CCTV cameras installed around the temple, with a control room set up on the left side of the Hasanamba temple to monitor everything.The movements of devotees, officials, and staff are being observed. Officials are gathering information on which queue lines had more people, where the lines were shorter, and whether people were moving indiscriminately through specific gates. The officials were providing directions from time to time to ensure the smooth flow of devotees.
