Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 27: The city streets are being cleared, medians and sides of the roads are being painted, colourful lightings have been put in place, and elaborate campaign to make people aware of the ‘Mangalore Dasara’ has been taken up. The annual ‘Navaratri’ festival at Kudroli Lord Gokarnanatha Temple in the city, better known as ‘Mangalore Dasara’, will go under way tomorrow.
Addressing a press conference in the city on Monday September 26, Harikrishna Bantwal, spokesman of temple governing council, said that the idols of nine Goddesses (Navadurga) and of Goddess Sharada will be installed at the temple hall at 11.30 am on Wednesday September 28. “The festival will be on from September 28 to October 7. Entrepreneur, Ramesh Kumar, and Urmila Ramesh Kumar, will initiate the festival on Wednesday,” he said.
A website containing integrated history and other details about Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple will be unveiled by former union minister, B Janardhana Poojary, at 11.30 am on Thursday. He will also inaugurate a new building that will house the silver chariot, at 6.30 pm on September 30, Bantwal said.
The Dasara festival programmes will be inaugurated by union aviation minister, Vayalar Ravi, at 6.30 pm on October 2. The programme of widows participating in Chandika Homa at the temple premises will be organized at 9.30 am on October 3. The immersion procession of the idols will begin from the temple at 4.30 pm on October 6. The entire stretch of the route, which is about seven km long, through which the procession will move, has been decorated with attractive lightings, Harikrishna stated.
He said that only those tableaux which depict Indian heritage, history, art, culture, etc, which obtain permission from the temple and the police department, will be allowed participation in the procession. “On all the days, community feast for about ten to fifteen thousand people will be arranged at the temple. If widows want to remarry, the temple will arrange marriage ceremony free of cost, besides presenting them with saris, Taali etc. From September 28 to October 5, cultural programmes will be presented from 6 pm onwards,” he added.
President of the council, H S Sairam, vice president, Raghavendra Kulur, treasurer, Padmaraj R, member, B K Taranth, and Dr B G Suvarna, were present at the press conference.