Mangaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s scheduled visit to coastal Karnataka on Monday, October 12, has been cancelled at the last minute due to unavoidable circumstances. The cancellation means he will not attend the planned inauguration of the women’s Dasara celebrations at Uchila Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Udupi or the Mangaluru Dasara festival.

B S Sridhar, officer on special duty (OSD) to the chief minister, announced the cancellation through a press release on Sunday, October 11. The statement cited unavoidable circumstances but did not provide further details about the reason for the change in the chief minister’s itinerary.

The cancellation has affected two scheduled events in the coastal region, where preparations had been made for the chief minister’s participation.

Uchila Dasara inauguration cancelled

According to the original itinerary, Shivakumar was scheduled to visit Uchila Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Udupi at 3 pm on October 12 to inaugurate the women’s Dasara celebrations.

The Uchila Dasara festival is among the prominent Navaratri celebrations in the coastal region. The temple’s programme brings together religious observances and cultural activities, with the women’s Dasara celebrations forming an important part of the festivities.

The chief minister’s planned participation was expected to mark the formal inauguration of the celebrations. However, following the cancellation of his coastal tour, he will not be present for the scheduled event.

The official communication did not indicate whether another dignitary would take his place at the inauguration or whether any changes would be made to the programme.

Mangaluru Dasara inauguration also affected

Shivakumar was also scheduled to inaugurate the Mangaluru Dasara festival at 6.30 pm on Monday.

Mangaluru Dasara is one of the major festive events in Dakshina Kannada district, attracting devotees and visitors for temple celebrations, religious programmes and cultural activities. The festival is particularly associated with the celebrations at Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple.

The chief minister’s participation had been included in the day’s programme, but the cancellation means he will not attend the scheduled inauguration.

The announcement came a day before the planned visit, leaving both events without the chief minister’s participation as originally expected. The release, however, did not state whether the cancellation would affect other aspects of either festival.

No specific reason given for cancellation

The OSD’s press release cited unavoidable circumstances as the reason for cancelling the coastal tour. No further explanation was provided, and there was no official clarification on whether the change was connected to scheduling, administrative commitments or any other development.

The cancellation applies to the chief minister’s scheduled visits to Uchila and Mangaluru on October 12. Any revised itinerary or announcement regarding his participation in the festivals would depend on further official communication.

Both celebrations are part of the ongoing Dasara festivities in coastal Karnataka, which draw participation from devotees and the wider public during the Navaratri period.

Coastal visit cancelled ahead of key festival events

The last-minute change removes the chief minister from two prominent events planned for Monday in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. While the official statement confirmed the cancellation, it did not indicate any postponement of the events themselves.

Further details about any changes to the inauguration programmes may be announced by the respective organisers.