Puneeth’s wife prays for late husband’s last movie

Offers special pujas at Nimishamba Temple and Sri Chamundeshwari Temple

Srirangapatna: Late movie icon Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar’s Gandhada Gudi, which is a docu-feature on Karnataka’s wildlife, opened in cinemas this morning and to pray for the success for the actor’s last movie on screen, his wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar visited the Nimishamba Temple in Srirangapatna and Sri Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill in Mysuru.

Special prayers were offered by Ashwini and she was accompanied by Director Amoghavarsha.

The Nimishamba Temple is located at Ganjam and Puneeth Rajkumar was an ardent devotee of the Goddess.

It is one of the famous temples dedicated to Goddess Parvathi and was constructed by Raja Wadiyar 400 years ago. Located on a higher elevation on the banks of River Cauvery, the Nimishamba Temple — where the idol of the Goddess is carved along with the Sri Chakra — is governed by the Muzrai Department.

The deity gets the name Nimishamba as she grants wishes within a minute (Nimisha in Kannada). According to family sources, the day Puneeth decided to shoot for Gandhada Gudi, he had been to Nimishamba Temple and had prayed for the movie’s success. Following the wishes of her late husband, Ashwini too visited the temple and offered special prayers today.

Temple Chief Priest Suryanarayana Bhat recalled the association of Puneeth Rajkumar with the Temple and said that he was a regular visitor there. Even when Dr. Rajkumar was kidnapped by forest brigand Veerappan, Puneeth had come to the Temple with Parvathamma Rajkumar and had prayed for his release. “Parvathamma had dropped a mangalasutra into the Hundi and had prayed to the Goddess,” he recalled.

“Puneeth Rajkumar used to come here whenever his new cinema hit the screens and today, it is sad that he is not amidst us. Shivarajkumar had taken a vow in the Temple and accordingly he donated a gold necklace to the Goddess through Ashwini,” the priest said.

Director Amoghavarsha said that his journey with Puneeth Rajkumar began on Oct. 29 and it has been two years. “From now, it is the film of the fans and crowd who I am sure will shower love as always. It is the last story the legendary actor has given to us and we must preserve the State’s natural wealth,” he said.

After the rituals at Nimishamba, Ashwini and Amoghavarsha proceeded towards the Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill. She told the media waiting outside that she has come to the Goddess to seek blessings for the success of her husband’s last movie.