Over 2 Lakh devotees flock to Kukke temple during holidays

The Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple, one of South India’s most prominent centres of Naga worship, witnessed an exceptional influx of devotees over the last four days, with more than two lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine during a series of consecutive holidays.

Temple authorities said devotees streamed into the hill shrine round the clock, leading to heavy congestion across the temple town. With the sustained rush, the temple’s revenue during the four-day period is expected to cross ₹4 crore.

The earnings include hundi collections, receipts from various sevas, donations towards annadana, accommodation charges from temple-run guesthouses, and offerings of gold, silver and other valuables.

To cope with the surge, the temple expanded annaprasada arrangements, serving meals at both the main dining hall and the Adi Subrahmanya facility.

Thousands of devotees were able to receive prasada smoothly despite the continuous flow of visitors.

Vehicular traffic remained heavy on roads leading to the shrine, including the Rathabeedi and designated parking areas. Police personnel, assisted by private security staff, managed traffic and crowd movement, drawing appreciation from pilgrims for maintaining order during peak hours.

Temple Executive Officer Aravind Ayyappa Sutagundi oversaw arrangements within the temple premises to ensure uninterrupted darshan, while Assistant Executive Officer Yesuraj coordinated crowd control at entry points and outdoor areas.

The surge in footfall followed a three-day holiday stretch due to the second Saturday, Sunday and Republic Day, prompting many devotees to undertake pilgrimages to Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, Gokarna and Murudeshwara.

Temple records show that Kukke Sri Subrahmanya registered a revenue of ₹14.77 crore in November and December 2025, reflecting the sustained rise in pilgrim inflow in

recent months.