Devotee dies while climbing Deviramma Betta in Chikkamagaluru

Shivamogga

A devotee collapsed and died while climbing Deviramma Betta to visit the hill temple at Mallenahalli near Chikkamagalur on Sunday (November 8, 2026) morning.

The deceased has been identified as Lakshman (35) of Kanyadi in Dakshina Kannada district. He was scaling a hill from the Mallenahalli side when he collapsed. Fire and rescue personnel, who were deployed along the trail to assist the devotees, carried the body down the hill. She was later shifted to the District Government Hospital in Chikkamagaluru.

Lakshman, who worked for a private company in Bengaluru, had come to visit a relative in Huvinahalli. He is said to have traveled overnight and decided to climb the hill early in the morning.

The hilltop Deviramma temple is open to the public only during the annual festival, which began on Saturday (November 7). Thousands of devotees from across the state visited the temple in the last two days. This year the festival was extended to two days and climbing the hill at night was prohibited for safety reasons.

Chikkamagaluru district administration and police have taken security measures and put security measures in place for the smooth running of the festival.

Published – 8 Nov 2026 18:08 IST