Temples in Karnataka to observe Ugadi as religious day

BANGALORE: While police department and banks are observing "crime prevention day" and "deposit and loans day" respectively, the Muzrai department is not lagging behind.
The Muzrai department, by issuing a circular on February 4, has asked around 30,000 temples in the state coming under its jurisdiction to observe Ugadi as "Religious Day".
"Since Ugadi is observed as New Year in Karnataka, the department has issued that temples should observe as religious day," Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told TOI.
Ugadi festival was chosen because, it is one of few festivals which is not associated with any particular God or deity. The festival has come out with practice. On this day neem and jaggery is distributed to emphasize that one should face positives and negatives with equanimity.
A senior official in the department said as in normal course special poojas will be conducted on Ugadi day, no specific instructions has been issued to temples to perform any other special poojas while observing religious day.
Citing price rise in rice, oil, flowers, fruits - essential things to perform pooja, the ruling-BJP enhanced tasdik amount (honorarium) to priests to Rs 24,000 from Rs 12,000 per annum. Priests in as many as 26,988 temples will get this honorarium. This move is expected to cost Rs 33.32 crore a year for the government.