Yadgir , 31 August(HS): State-run buses operating across Yadgir and neighbouring districts in Karnataka are witnessing an unprecedented rush of women passengers during Shravana Maasa, as thousands use the government’s Shakti free travel scheme to visit prominent temples.

The auspicious Hindu month traditionally attracts large numbers of devotees to religious centres across the state. This year, free bus travel has made pilgrimages more accessible to women, leading to overcrowding on several routes, particularly those connecting major shrines in Yadgir and Raichur districts.

Among the temples reporting a heavy influx are the Sri Vishwaradhya temple at Abbetumkur, the Sri Mailaralingeshwar temple at Mailapur in Yadgir district and the Sri Sugureshwar temple at Devsugur, near Shaktinagar in neighbouring Raichur district.

The Sri Mailaralingeshwar temple has recorded a particularly sharp increase in visitors from north Karnataka. Women devotees have been arriving in groups from Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Belagavi and other districts. Many reach Mailapur the previous night, stay near the temple and attend the early-morning darshan before beginning their return journey.

Several pilgrims are also combining visits to multiple religious destinations. A woman from Vijayapura, travelling with five female family members, said the group had visited the Mailaralingeshwar temple and was proceeding to Bidar to offer prayers at temples there.

Women passengers said the Shakti scheme had considerably reduced the cost of religious travel, allowing families to undertake pilgrimages that might otherwise have been financially difficult. The savings on bus fares have also enabled many devotees to visit shrines more frequently.

However, the surge in passengers has inconvenienced regular commuters. Male passengers and students said they were struggling to find seats on crowded buses, even during weekdays and holidays. They urged transport authorities to operate additional services on busy pilgrimage routes during Shravan to accommodate devotees without disrupting daily travel.

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman