The annual jatra of Murugha Mutt, which used to attract thousands of devotees from across the region, was held in a simple manner on Saturday, in accordance with COVID-19 protocol.
The jatra committee of the mutt had cancelled all other religious and cultural programmes in view of the pandemic.
The jatra rituals began with paying tributes to Madathani Murughendra Swami. Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of Brihan Mutt, Chitradurga, initiated the car festival by performing puja to the decorated ‘ratha’. Seer of Murugha Mutt, Dharwad, Mallikarjun Swami and several other seers took part in the annual fair held in a simple manner.
In the wake of COVID-19 guidelines, the ‘rathotsava’ was held within the mutt premises. The mutt said that devotees were allowed to have a ‘darshan’ of the seer’s ‘gadduge’ (tomb) and offer puja to the ‘ratha’ in accordance with the guidelines.