Teerthodbhava conducted in subdued manner in Kodagu

Madikeri (Karnataka), Oct 17 : Amid fears of the Covid-19 pandemic and vedic chants reverberating across the Brahmagiri foothills, hundreds of devotees witnessed the annual ritual – Cauvery Teerthodhbhava – on Saturday morning at the Brhamakundike.
The Theerthodbhava, an annual ritual to mark the gushing of water from a spring in a tank – Brahmakundike – in Talakaveri, considered to be the source of river Cauveri, draws devotees from not only Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Mandya, but also the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The Teerthodbhava occurred at 7:05 a.m. on Saturday instead of its earlier prediction of 7:03 a.m. With only 350 devotees allowed to take part in the ritual, it was the most subdued event that has been witnessed in the past several years.
Religious rituals were performed from the wee hours of Saturday morning. The priests continuously chanted vedic hymns sitting in a row near the Brahmakundike.
They sprinkled holy water on the devotees soon after the Theerthodbhava occurred. Devotees arrived with cans, pots, tins and bottles to fill them with holy water.
The police had made elaborate arrangements to regulate the movement of devotees and control vehicular traffic.