Pics: Spoorthi Ullal/Justin D'Silva

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi

Mangaluru/Udupi, Sep 8: The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as Monti Fest, was celebrated with religious devotion and traditional fervour across churches in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Tuesday September 8.

The feast, which commemorates the birth of Mother Mary, holds a special place in the religious and cultural life of the Konkani Catholic community along the coastal belt. It is also celebrated as a harvest festival, bringing together faith, family, agriculture and community traditions.

Rosario Cathedral, Mangaluru

Mother of Sorrows Church, Udupi 

The celebrations followed the traditional nine-day Novena, during which children offered flowers to Infant Mary at churches. Special prayers and religious services were held at parishes across the two districts as part of the feast celebrations. Preparations for the festival had begun with the commencement of the Novena at churches under the Mangalore and Udupi diocese.

On the feast day, special Masses were offered at churches, with the season’s first harvest, particularly newly harvested rice, being blessed and distributed among the faithful. The tradition symbolises thanksgiving for the harvest and God’s blessings.

The celebrations will continue in homes, where families prepare traditional vegetarian festive meals using locally grown vegetables. The newly harvested rice also forms an important part of the traditional feast. Families gather together to share the meal, continuing a tradition that has been passed down through generations.