Karnataka health minister knocks at Goddess’ door, writes letter to deity to make him Deputy CM

News Network

September 18, 2020

Bengaluru, Sept 18: Even as the debate on a possible Cabinet expansion in Karnataka is still raging, state Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu on Thursday allegedly sought the blessings of famous deity Durga Devi or 'Gade Durgamma' to make him Deputy Chief Minister at the earliest by writing a letter to the deity.

Sriramulu was in Yadgir to take part in Kalyana Karnataka Utsav in Kalaburagi. The famous Gonal Durga Devi temple is situated in Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district which is 500 kms from Bengaluru.

Sriramulu is part of the Chief Minister's programme and several dignitaries have already landed in Kalaburagi to be part of Kalyana Karnataka Utsva, (a day celebrated to commemorate Hyderabad-Karnataka Liberation Day which was rechristened as Kalyana Karnataka Utasva from last year.) On this day the region was liberated from the rule of the Hyderabad Nizam.

Prior to going to Kalaburagi, Sriramulu landed in Yadgir and he first headed to temple in Gonal village in Shahapur taluk. He performed pooja, then he placed his letter on the deity's feet and sought blessings from her.

According to a source close to the minister, he wrote a letter which was signed by him containing two lines stating that he wanted to be Deputy Chief Minister at the earliest, and it must be fulfilled.

The source further added that Sriramulu before going to the temple visited the temple priest, Mariswamy's house and from there both went to the temple and performed the pooja.

According to the popular belief here, whoever goes to this temple and wishes something for him or her or their family, they do write a letter and place it on the feet of Durga Devi and seek her blessings to fulfil that wish.

So much so that incumbent Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief D.K. Shivakumar too had visited the temple when he was released from jail after being booked by the ED.

As a result of this, his followers believe that he was chosen to lead the party.

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Mangaluru Tees Off Big: Golf Excellence Academy to Open at Pilikula

News Network

February 1,2026

The coastal city of Mangaluru is gearing up for a major sporting milestone with the launch of a Golf Excellence Academy at the Pilikula Golf Club (PGC), scheduled to open on May 31. The initiative aims to position Mangaluru firmly on India’s national golfing map.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during PGC’s first-ever floodlit Pro-Am tournament, club captain Manoj Kumar Shetty said the project is being funded by UAE-based philanthropist Michael D’Souza and is currently in the design phase. Experts from leading golf academies across the country are expected to visit Mangaluru to help shape the training programme and infrastructure.

The academy will train 20 young golfers at a time, with a long-term vision of producing national-level players from the region. Until now, PGC relied on an in-house coach, but the recent renovation of the course and the introduction of floodlights have opened new possibilities for expanding the sport.

Shetty said discussions are underway with two reputed coaching academies, whose heads are expected to visit PGC shortly. “A dormitory for trainers is already under construction. We are inviting academies to assess the facilities and suggest changes so we can build a truly world-class Golf Excellence Academy,” he said.

Professional golfer Aryan Roopa Anand noted that the floodlit course would be a game-changer for young players. “Students can now practise after school hours, even up to 8 or 9 pm, without compromising on academics,” he said.

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