The inauguration at Gali Anjaneya temple has caused a traffic diversion and traffic jams since the morning.
The streets of Byataratanapura near the Gali Anjaneya temple were filled with vehicles this morning—policemen tried to divert traffic, while people in the temple looked at Haradanahalli Doddegowda. Deve Gowda. He was there for the inauguration of a new Hanuman statue in the temple.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also invited, but was busy in Delhi and did not arrive at the event.
The former Prime Minister talked about how he had been visiting the temple for years.
Manoj Bhattacharya, assistant Acharya (priest) at the temple said that the 21-feet tall statue was carved out of a single stone in Tamil Nadu.
The Gali Anajaneya Temple is an ancient temple in Bangalore. It stands on the banks of what was once the Vrishabhavathi river. Today, the river is a storm-water drain and the location of the temple is nearly the centre of the city.
Devotees say they are very happy with the new statue.
Pooja, a resident of Byataratanapura, made her way to the temple to attend the ceremony. “Now people who pass through this route but can’t come inside the temple can take blessings of lord Hanuman,” she said.
However, the event caused severe traffic conditions in the area, with buses, trucks and cars forced to drive through narrow lanes.
Gowde Swamy, a traffic officer from Byataratanapura traffic police station, said, “The diversion started in the morning and we have police men nearby handling the traffic. It is expected to end by 1 p.m,” he added.
