The Karnataka government will formally launch the Cauvery Aarti in Srirangapatna on October 3

Mandya state chief minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy releasing the Srirangapatna Dasara-2024 logo in Mandya. File Image | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Karnataka Congress government has decided to symbolically launch the Cauvery Aarti on the lines of the Ganga Aarti, on October 3, the first day of the Dasara festival celebrations at Srirangapatna in Mandya.

This decision was taken following discussions with the Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and a delegation of ministers of the State Conference and legislators led by the Minister of Agriculture, N. Cheluvarayaswamy, who visited Varanasi and Haridwar to learn how religious ceremonies are performed on the banks of the river. Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.

“We have decided to hold a symbolic Cauvery Aarti on October 3 in Srirangapatna. After the construction of permanent structures on the banks of the Cauvery river, the Aarti will be conducted at least five days a week,” said Congress MLC Dinesh Guligowda, who was part of the delegation.

Search for a location

Mr. Shivakumar told the delegates to submit a complete report on the conduct of the Cauvery Aarti and its location, which will later be converted into a religious and cultural tourism destination. The identified area should be such that water flows in the river throughout the year, MLC said.

The Deputy Chief Minister directed the team to include the unique characteristics of all the districts in the Cauvery basin in the report. The Cabinet is expected to take a decision regarding the release of funds for the construction of buildings to conduct the Aarti and the permanent venue, said the MLC.

Promote tourism

A few months ago, Mr. Shivakumar said that the State government proposed to conduct Cauvery Aarti on the banks of river Cauvery, which is the lifeline of people in many parts of southern Karnataka.

Following the order of the Deputy Chief Minister, the delegation visited Haridwar and Varanasi on September 20 and 21, 2024, and observed the rituals conducted by the priests during the Ganga Aarti. Around 40,000 people participated during Ganga Aarti in Haridwar and Varanasi, MLC said.

The proposed Cauvery Aarti is not only expected to give a boost to tourism, but also attract devotees because of the sanctity people attach to the Cauvery river.