Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy Turns Temple Run Ambassador

Bengaluru: Looks like the popular Temple run game has a new brand ambassador and he's none other than newly sworn in Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. The JD(S) leader who took oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday had been on a temple-hopping spree since Sunday after Governor Vajubhai Vala invited him on May 19 to form a JD-S-Congress coalition government.

The Karnataka CM visited nine temples in different districts of the state as well as one temple in Tamil Nadu. Even hours before his oath-taking ceremony, Kumaraswamy along his wife Anitha was spotted offering prayers at Chamundeshwari temples in Mysuru and Ramanagara. After going round temples in Bengaluru on Sunday, Kumaraswamy went to his home district Haasan, about 180 km southwest of the state capital, where he prayed at the Ranganatha Swamy and Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temples.

Next, Kumaraswamy visited Shiva temple, Mavinakere Ranganatha temple and Yelimalaka temple. He even visited Sringeri mutt in Chikkamagalur and Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada. It is learnt that before the elections, Kumaraswamy's family had performed Maha Chandika Yaga at Sringeri.

As if temple hopping wasn't enough, Kumaraswamy also made it a point to offer prayers at Our Lady of Lourdes church and the Manqabat e-Hazrat Peeran Shah Vali dargah. It now remains to be seen if all this temple run can keep the coalition intact for next five years!