State-owned buses across Yadgir and neighbouring districts in Karnataka experienced a massive rush of women passengers during the ongoing Shravana Maasa (month of Shravan). They were availing the Shakti scheme of the Karnataka government to visit holy shrines.

​The auspicious Hindu month has seen thousands of female devotees traveling across Karnataka on a pilgrimage. Prominent religious destinations, including the Sri Vishwaradhya temple in Abbetumkur, Sri Mailaralingeshwar temple in Mailapur in Yadgir district, and the Sri Sugureshwar temple in Devsugur (Shaktinagar) in neighbouring Raichur district, have reported record turnout of pilgrims.

​The Sri Mailaralingeshwar temple, in particular, has seen a sharp rise in devotees traveling from different parts of north Karnataka districts, including Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, and Belagavi. Many female pilgrims arrive the night before to secure an early morning darshan before returning home.

​”We came here to seek the blessings of Sri Mailaralingeshwar with our family members, comprising five female members. Now, we are heading to Bidar to visit temples there,” said a woman devotee from Vijayapura as she boarded a crowded bus.

Devotees expressed gratitude for the free travel scheme of the government of Karnataka, noting that the savings in bus fare have made frequent spiritual trips significantly more affordable.

​However, the influx has led to criticism from daily commuters. Male passengers and students reported persistent difficulty in securing seats, even on weekdays and holidays.

​”It has become a nightmare for daily commuters and students,” claimed a male passenger. “With buses running packed to capacity, getting a seat is virtually impossible,”

​In light of the ongoing festival rush, female passengers have urged the NWKRTC, KKRTC and KSRTC to deploy additional buses during occasions like Shravana Maasa to ease congestion.