Warm response to a new practice

Idol of goddess brought from Chamundi Hills to palace in a procession

Signalling the start of a new tradition, the idol (utsavamoorthy) of Goddess Chamundeshwari was brought in a procession from Chamundi Hills to the palace ahead of the Jamboo Savari and was witnessed by a large number of devotees here on Friday.

The practice all these years was to bring the idol in a vehicle a few hours before the Vijayadashmi procession or the Jamboo Savari and place it inside the palace, oblivious to the large gathering. The idol would then be shifted to the golden howdah and hoisted on the elephant’s back a few minutes before the commencement of the Vijayadashmi procession.

But the authorities this year decided to bring the idol in a separate procession from Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills to the palace to enable the general public and those who cannot make it to the Jamboo Savari, to get a glimpse of the deity.