CM Siddaramaiah attends Hasanamba Devi festival in Hassan
Synopsis
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attended the historic Hasanamba Devi festival in Hassan on 6 November 2026, offering special prayers at the temple and at Sri Siddeshwara Swami Temple. Excise Minister Shivalingegowda and MP Shreyas Patel accompanied him.
Key Takeaways
CM Siddaramaiah attended the annual Hasanamba Devi festival in Hassan on 6 November 2026 .
He performed a special pooja and received darshan at the historic Hasanamba Devi Temple.
He also visited and offered prayers at Sri Siddeshwara Swami Temple during the same visit.
Excise Minister and Hassan District In-charge Minister Shivalingegowda accompanied the Chief Minister.
MP Shreyas Patel was also present, reflecting broad Congress representation at the event.
The Hasanamba festival is one of Karnataka's most significant annual religious events, with the temple's inner sanctum opened only for a limited period each year.
At one of Karnataka's most storied temple festivals, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah joined thousands of devotees on Friday, 6 November 2026, attending the celebrated Hasanamba Devi festival in Hassan, performing special prayers and seeking the goddess's blessings.
Posting in Kannada, the Chief Minister described participating in the festival, receiving the goddess's darshan (divine audience), and offering a special pooja. He also visited the nearby Sri Siddeshwara Swami Temple, where he offered prayers. Accompanying him were Excise Minister and Hassan District In-charge Minister Shivalingegowda and Member of Parliament Shreyas Patel, along with several others.
Hasanamba's rare festival — a window that opens once a year
The Hasanamba Devi Temple in Hassan is among Karnataka's most historically significant shrines, renowned for an annual festival during which the temple's inner sanctum is opened to devotees for a limited period. The ritual tradition draws pilgrims from across the region, making it one of the more anticipated religious events in the district's calendar. The temple's name is itself the origin of the city of Hassan.
The festival's significance extends beyond the purely spiritual — it anchors community life in the district and draws considerable administrative attention each year. Chief ministers and senior ministers of Karnataka have regularly marked the occasion with visits, treating attendance as both a cultural duty and a gesture of solidarity with the region's residents.
Siddaramaiah, Shivalingegowda, and the politics of presence in Hassan
The Chief Minister's visit alongside Shivalingegowda — who holds the dual charge of Excise Minister and Hassan's district in-charge minister — signals the ruling Congress government's continued engagement with Hassan, a district that carries significant political weight in Karnataka. MP Shreyas Patel's presence reinforced the layered representation: state executive, cabinet, and Parliament all in one frame.
Karnataka's ruling dispensation has consistently emphasised participation in regional religious and cultural traditions as part of a broader outreach strategy, particularly in districts where local festivals serve as focal points of community identity. Visits like this one tend to reinforce the government's visibility at the grassroots level well beyond the state capital.
When a Chief Minister pauses the machinery of government to light incense at a centuries-old shrine, the message to Hassan's residents is simple and deliberate: we are here, and what matters to you matters to us.
Point of View
Blending statecraft with religious tradition. Siddaramaiah's visit to Hassan — accompanied by the district's in-charge minister and a sitting MP — signals a deliberate effort to consolidate the Congress government's presence in a politically consequential district. Such visits carry symbolic weight beyond religiosity: they project governance as rooted in local culture. With the Hasanamba festival serving as Hassan's most visible annual gathering, the ruling party's visibility here feeds directly into ground-level relationship-building ahead of future electoral cycles.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hasanamba Devi Temple festival?
The Hasanamba Devi Temple festival is an annual religious event in Hassan, Karnataka , during which the temple's inner sanctum is opened to devotees for a limited period. It is one of the most historically significant temple festivals in Karnataka, drawing pilgrims from across the region.
Where is the Hasanamba Devi Temple located?
The Hasanamba Devi Temple is located in Hassan city, Karnataka . The city's name is said to be derived from the goddess Hasanamba herself.
Who accompanied CM Siddaramaiah at the Hasanamba festival?
Excise Minister and Hassan District In-charge Minister Shivalingegowda and Congress MP Shreyas Patel accompanied Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Hasanamba Devi festival on 6 November 2026 .
Which temples did Siddaramaiah visit in Hassan?
CM Siddaramaiah visited the Hasanamba Devi Temple , where he attended the annual festival and offered special prayers, and the Sri Siddeshwara Swami Temple , where he also performed pooja .
Why do Karnataka chief ministers attend the Hasanamba festival?
Karnataka chief ministers regularly attend the Hasanamba festival as part of cultural outreach, reflecting the state government's emphasis on participating in regional religious traditions. The festival is a major community event in Hassan district , making it politically and culturally significant.
