Thousands of devotees witnessed the Lord Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Maha Rathotsava at B.R. Hills on Friday. After many years, the devotees were able to take part in the car festival for half of the route. The dilapidated temple chariot taken out in procession could not complete the route.
The temple of Lord Rangaswamy has been a place of worship since 1923. It is situated on the edge of a cliff, atop a hillock that is 5,100 feet high. This hillock is called ‘Biligiri’ or ‘Swethadri’ in Sanskrit, as the steep vertical cliff appears white, amidst the greenery of the surrounding forests, when seen from the plains below.
The KSRTC made special buses available for travel to B.R. Hills as part of Maha Rathotsav. The district police ensured that elaborate security arrangements were in place. Soliga tribes and devotees from other parts of the district also took part in the celebrations.
