Karkala: Car Festival at Gomateshwara Betta Attracts Devotees

Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Feb 11: While the Maha Mastakabhisheka of the statues of Bahubali at various pilgrimage centres including Karkala make headlines everywhere, and people are generally aware of these programmes, many do not know about the simple but beautiful car festival organized annually under moonlight on the full moon day of Magha month on Gomateshwara Betta here.

On the full moon day last Tuesday, thousands of devotees attended the car festival programme, which was accompanied by various religious rituals like Padapuja Kalashabhieeka etc. The festival went on till late night. The celebrations at the festival this time had an added sheen, because of the fact that Maha Mastakabhisheka is due to be organized here during 2014. A number of people, who were in the district to witness the recently-concluded Mastakabhisheka at Venoor, got the opportunity to take part in car festival here.

Various programmes like religious lectures, cultural exchange programmes etc were held here on the occasion, in the presence of Swastisri Lalitakeerti Bhattaraka Pattacharya Mahaswamiji of Karkala Jain Mutt, noted scholar, Erya Lakshiminarayana Alva, and others.

M K Vijay Kumar, general secretary of Jaina Dharma Jeernoddhara Sangha, welcomed. Family of Ratnaraja, brother of K Sridhar Kadamba, who was the chief patron for this year’s programme, president of Dakshina Kannada Yuva Jana Sangha, Nemiraja Ariga, and others were present. The religious rituals were directed by Nagaraja Indra.