Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, June 24 entered and exited through the south door of his office at the Vidhana Soudha, which had been long closed for ‘Vastu’ reasons. Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said that earlier CMs feared entering through the door as ‘Vastu’ experts maintained that going through this door would affect their political careers. Vastu, a traditional Indian architectural system, is considered pseudoscience by rationalists and scientists who argue that modern Vastu consultants promote superstition in the guise of science.
Siddaramaiah had noticed that the south door was closed and had asked his staff members about the reason for this. As the staff members explained the ‘Vastu’ reason, he laughed and directed them to open the door then and there. He stood there until the door was opened and entered through it and chaired meetings. He also exited through the same south door and claimed that if there is concern towards people, honesty in character, and dedication in duty, the concept of auspicious and inauspicious times and places are immaterial.
“The south door of the CM’s office was closed for five years due to ‘Vastu’ problem. I got it opened, and made my entry and exit through this door. If our conduct and words are honest, everything will be a blessing. Let the blessings of people be on me,” Siddaramaiah stressed.
Notably, during his tenure as CM from 2013 to 2018, Siddaramaiah fearlessly visited Chamarajanagar multiple times, despite other CMs being reluctant to do so due to concerns over losing power. Chamarajanagar, a district located 170 km from Bengaluru, gained notoriety for its association with ‘black magic’. In fact, for many years, numerous politicians and even bureaucrats had steered clear of Chamarajanagar town, the district headquarters, due to a prevalent urban legend suggesting that visiting the town would result in their removal from positions of authority.