Large crowds throng Vaishnava temples in Mysuru on Vaikunta Ekadasi

Various Vaishnava shrines dedicated to Venkateshwara and Lord Vishnu in Mysuru and surrounding regions witnessed high footfall with devotees making a beeline for darshan on Vaikunta Ekadasi, on Tuesday (December 30, 2025).

Prominent temples including the Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy temple on the KRS Road, Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple at Vijayanagar, Venkateshwara temple at Datta Peetha in Sri Ganapathi Sacchidananda Swami Ashram, Maruti temple at Gangagotri Layout, which has a dedicated shrine for Lord Venkateshwara, ISKCON temple at Jayanagar etc., saw a steady flow of the devout from the crack of dawn.

The temple premises were specially decorated with floral arrangements and special rites and rituals were conducted to mark the occasion. At most places, entry for darshan commenced around 6 a.m. and continued uninterrupted throughout the day.

At ISKCON temple, devotees were allowed darshan from 7.30 a.m. onwards without a break. They had also erected a Vaikunta Dwara through which the devotees gained entry into the temple and had the darshan of Krishna and Balarama, the presiding deities.

At ISKCON, cultural programmes including reciting of devotional songs and chanting of hymns through the day added to the religious and festive vibes. Several musicians were also invited to perform on the occasion and render bhajans and kirtans which shored up the spiritual fervour.

Similar crowd and steady flow of devotees were reported from other temples too and it gained further traction from evening.

The turnout at the historic Sriranganathaswamy temple in Srirangapatana was exceptional. One of the biggest temples in the State, it is also among the Pancharanga Kshetrams, five places that have temples dedicated to Lord Ranganatha — a manifestation of Lord Vishnu — and draws devotees from all over India.

As the temple visit is also included in the tour itinerary of most tourists, there was a heavy rush throughout the day. The year-end holiday season also contributed to the surge in footfall to this famous temple on the banks of the river Cauvery.