Karnataka Celebrates Gowri-Ganesha Festival With 3,000 CCTV Cameras Across Bengaluru

The Gowri-Ganesha festival was celebrated across Karnataka with religious fervour and enthusiasm on Monday, with devotees visiting temples and markets and participating in festivities marking Ganesh Chaturthi. In Bengaluru, authorities deployed extensive security arrangements to manage crowds and monitor sensitive areas. Around 3,000 additional CCTV cameras have been installed across the city, while Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons and drones have also been deployed as part of the security measures.

Police have maintained a close watch on key locations and procession routes, with the situation being monitored from the police command centre. Directions have also been issued regarding the use of loudspeakers during the celebrations. The increased surveillance comes as large numbers of devotees gather at prominent temples and marketplaces across Bengaluru. At K.R. Market, crowds began arriving from the early hours to purchase fruits, flowers, vegetables, puja materials and other items, affecting traffic movement from around 5 a.m.

At the historic Dodda Ganapathi Temple in Basavanagudi, devotees began queuing from around 3 a.m. on Monday. Temple priests conducted special worship at about 2.30 a.m., followed by a milk abhisheka using around 1,000 litres of milk. Maha Mangalarati was performed at 6 a.m., while arrangements were made to distribute prasadam to devotees from 6 a.m. until midnight. The temple was scheduled to remain open for devotees until 12.30 a.m. on Monday.

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The festival also drew large crowds at the historic 101 Ganesh Temple in Mysuru, where special worship began around 3 a.m. Devotees queued to seek darshan of the 101 Ganesha idols installed at the temple. According to chief priest Sunil, 101 families came together to install the idols, with 32 placed on the first step, 26 on the second, 24 on the third and 18 on the fourth, along with a larger idol at the top. Special worship is also conducted at the temple on Sankashta Chaturthi.

In Hubballi, the festival was marked by large crowds as people visited markets to purchase Ganesha idols, with several visitors from rural areas arriving in bullock carts to take idols home for installation. In Davanagere, more than 2,500 Ganesha idols are being installed, while police have strengthened security in 13 identified hypersensitive areas. People also showed a preference for idols from the Kunnur region, with the soil associated by local belief with revered Sufi saint Santa Shishunala Sharif.

Authorities across Karnataka have urged people to celebrate the festival peacefully and maintain communal harmony while following safety regulations during processions and idol immersions. The combination of large public gatherings, religious events and processions has prompted heightened security arrangements in several cities. Police and local authorities are continuing to monitor the celebrations to ensure that devotees can participate in the festival while maintaining public order and safety.

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