Date:13/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/13/stories/2007111366850400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Puja in Chief Minister’s official chamber

Special Correspondent

‘Havana’ and ‘homa’ performed in the office on the third floor of the Vidhana Soudha

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Traditional start: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa performing puja in his official chamber in the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: For the first time in the history of Karnataka, a Chief Minister has begun his tenure by performing Vedic rituals in his official chamber. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa performed “homa”, “havana” and other rituals in his official chamber on the third floor of the Vidhana Soudha.

It is from this office that every Chief Minister has administered the State. The chamber is situated just a few feet from the Cabinet Hall where the Council of Ministers holds important meetings.

As he entered his room, Mr. Yeddyurappa was received by priests holding “kumbha” and chanting Vedic hymns.

It is common for politicians to visit temples and maths to seek the blessings of God and religious heads before taking the oath of office. Performing small pujas on a low key in their official chambers by Ministers at the start of their tenure is not uncommon in the Vidhana Soudha. However, the scale of the puja performed by Mr. Yeddyurappa, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak (RSS) activist and a devout Hindu, has raised eyebrows.

Before the swearing in, Mr. Yeddyurappa visited some important temples such as Vinayaka Temple in Malleswaram in Bangalore and took blessings from religious heads. Could this be termed a blanket permission for the other four Ministers also to perform “homa” in their chambers and 10 others, who would be sworn in after the floor test?