Hasanamba Festival 2026 to Showcase Rural Sports, Hallikar Cattle and Rangoli
Hassan: Devotees visiting the annual Hasanamba festival will also get a glimpse of Karnataka’s rural traditions, with Hallikar cattle displays, bullock-cart and bull races, rangoli competitions and folk performances planned alongside the temple festivities.
Releasing posters for the events at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on October 4, K. M. Shivalingegowda said the programme was intended to revive local traditions and bring them to a wider audience. He called for publicity across Hassan’s taluks, hoblis and villages.
Rangoli contest from the opening day
The large rangoli competition will begin on the day the temple’s sanctum doors open for the annual darshan, he said. Women and other members of the public from urban and rural areas can register at the venue, with prizes planned for winners.
Daily displays of indigenous Hallikar cattle and pairs of bullocks raised by local farmers are also planned. Shivalingegowda said the events would offer farmers a platform for recognition, with prizes for the best animals each day. Sheep, goats and pet dogs will also be exhibited.
Traditional bullock-cart and bull races, popular in rural areas including Banavara, are among the proposed attractions. Art activities and folk-cultural programmes will form part of the celebrations.
Hasanamba Cup and kabaddi
The district stadium will host the Hasanamba Cup cricket tournament and kabaddi competitions. Shivalingegowda said successful teams would receive cash awards and trophies, while traditional games would also be encouraged.
Water, queues and parking under review
At the subsequent district-level Karnataka Development Programme review meeting, Shivalingegowda directed officials to ensure drinking water, sanitation, uninterrupted electricity, food service, toilets, orderly queues, vehicle parking and police security for the expected influx of devotees.
The meeting also reviewed welfare and agricultural schemes. He cautioned against misuse of subsidised sprinkler sets and asked officials to prioritise farmers with a water source. Officials reported that 198 farm ponds had been completed against a target of 272 under Krishi Bhagya, and that green-manure seed distribution for coconut plantations under Vasudhamruta had reached 100 per cent.
MP Shreyas M. Patel, Deputy Commissioner Lathakumari, senior district officials and local representatives attended.
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