2 min readBengaluruMay 12, 2026 08:06 PM IST
After a 10-year-old boy died in a leopard attack while on a pilgrimage to Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills, Karnataka’s forest department is imposing restrictions on pilgrim movement inside the wildlife sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district.
Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, who held a meeting with senior department officials, instructed officials to restrict the 14-km Nagamale padayatra to the temple atop MM Hills to 3 km.
Guides should accompany pilgrims during the trek inside the Male Mahadeshwara wildlife sanctuary and should be equipped with walkie-talkies and necessary safety gear.
“From the ticket counter, devotees must compulsorily travel by jeep,” he said. In the last 3-km stretch where trekking is allowed, vegetation should be cleared on both sides to create a “view line” so that any wild animals present are visible, the minister said.
Similarly, the 7-km padayatra for Madappa Darshana will not be allowed year-round. “Only during Shivratri and Ugadi will the padayatra be allowed,” he said.
The forest department is also planning to raise awareness about using buses rather than walking to the shrine, he said.
Harshith Gowda, 10, was attacked by a leopard while walking towards the Nagamale shrine with his family members at around 7.30 am on May 10. The leopard dragged the boy into the forest and attacked his neck, killing him on the spot.
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This was the third such recent incident reported along the padayatra route inside the sanctuary, which is home to tigers, elephants and leopards. In January, a pilgrim died after being attacked by a leopard during the padayatra. An eight-year-old boy was injured in a leopard attack in February.
