An injured person being shifted to the hospital. Many devotees sustained fractures after falling from the slippery hills on Deviramma fair in Mallenahalli on Thursday.
Credit: DH Photo
Chikkamagaluru: Thousands of devotees thronged Deviramma hill on Thursday to have a glimpse of the presiding deity Bindiga Deviramma, which is open to devotees only on Naraka Chaturdashi.
With the flagging-off of the temple fair in Mallenahalli on Chikkamagaluru, the entire Deviramma hill was covered with devotees, who traversed the rocky and thorny path barefoot.
The deity is situated on a pedestal atop the hill which is around 3,000 above the sea level. People started arriving on Wednesday evening and started ascending the hill during the night.
While majority of the devotees arrived through Mallenahalli route, a significant number of people chose Manikyadhara falls route. Several others came through Arshinaguppe, crossing plantations.
Traversing the path was not easy as the hill was slippery due to rains on Wednesday night. However, the devotees helped each other and walked together holding each other's hands. Police and fire services personnel were deployed on various points throughout the hill. They helped the devotees to climb the hill using ropes.
Prasada was distributed to the devotees at the temple.
People injured
Due to the slippery slopes on the hill owing to rains, many people sustained hand and leg fractures after falling down.
Sindhu and Divya from Bengaluru suffered leg fractures. Jayamma from Mangaluru suffered low blood pressure.
A youth called Venu from Tarikere sustained severe head injury and has been hospitalised.
Special buses were arranged by KSRTC from Kadur, Birur and Chikkamagaluru to Mallenahalli for the devotees. There was dense traffic on the routes leading to the hill.