Subrahmanya: Torrential rains hit the Bisile ghat area and this temple town in particular on Sunday, following a break over the past days.
The downpour began right from Saturday night and continued all through the next day. Although the Kumaradhara bridge goes under water twice or thrice during monsoons every year, on Sunday it got inundated in a short time.
By 3 pm, the traffic towards Shri Kukke Subrahmanya temple from different directions. Being a weekend of the month of Aashadha, considered auspicious in Hindu beliefs, devotees thronged in large numbers, the heavy rains apart. Most of the visitors obviously took advantage of the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday on Saturday.
The temple town practically choked with vehicles getting stranded at all places. Pilgrims from other districts who had completed their visit to this holy place and were looking forward to proceeding towards other centres like Dharmasthala, Kollur and Murudeshwar were stuck in the traffic for long hours, being unable to go out of the town.
The bathing ghat located downstream at a level lower than the bridge also went under water. Vehicles queued up on either side of the bridge for hours.
In nearby Kadaba, the Hosamatha bridge also went under water. Traffic was blocked in the afternoon. Heavy rains were reported from Koila, Kaniyoor, Savanur, Kadaba and Dolpadi. Rains in Shiradi ghat has caused a spate in Gundya river which is flowing at an alarming level.