Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi
Mangaluru/Udupi, Oct 18: Dasara festivities and an extended holiday weekend have triggered a major travel rush across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, while Mangaluru has been transformed into a dazzling spectacle with millions of decorative lights illuminating its temples, roads, junctions and buildings. Heavy traffic, crowded buses and a surge in devotees and tourists have marked the festive weekend across the coastal region.
Mangaluru witnessed traffic congestion throughout Saturday, particularly during the evening and night, on M G Road, Kankanady, Nanthoor, Pumpwell, State Bank, Hampankatta, Kottara Chowki, Surathkal, K S Rao Road, Kudroli and Car Street, among other areas. The congestion also hampered the movement of ambulances.
Sunday was a holiday, followed by Ayudha Puja on Tuesday and Vijayadashami on Wednesday. Some private establishments had also declared Monday a linking holiday, giving employees a continuous four-day break. While many people left for their native places, others arrived in the coastal districts for holidays and sightseeing, adding to traffic and crowds at religious centres.
Mangaluru glows with dazzling festive lights
The Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Mangaladevi Temple and other shrines dedicated to the Goddess have been adorned with elaborate lighting arrangements, adding to the grandeur of the Navaratri celebrations. Major roads, junctions and buildings across Mangaluru are glowing with decorative lights, attracting residents and visitors who have been taking night time drives to admire the displays.
For Mangaluru Dasara, the Mangaluru City Corporation has arranged decorative lighting at prominent roads and junctions, while members of the public and building owners have illuminated their properties at their own expense.
Kudroli, Ladyhill, Lalbagh, M G Road, Navabharath Circle, K S Rao Road, Krishna Bhavan, Car Street and the New Chitra Talkies Road, along the Dasara procession route, are among the areas featuring elaborate overhead lighting displays. Illuminated trees, roadside installations and decorated buildings have added to the festive atmosphere.
An illuminated gateway near Pumpwell welcomes visitors to the city, while Narayana Guru Circle has emerged as a major attraction. Visitors have been seen recording videos and making social media reels of the lighting displays while visiting temples at night.
Tourists have also visited Ucchila, Rajangana in Udupi and the Kudroli temple in Mangaluru to seek the blessings of the Navadurga deities.
Millions of bulbs illuminate a 25-km stretch
Decorative lighting has been installed across approximately 25 kilometres of Mangaluru, using an estimated 10 crore miniature bulbs and other lighting elements. The illuminated temple towers and surrounding structures, featuring intricate designs, offer a spectacular sight during the festival.
The arrangements include more than two crore pixel lights, one crore nine-watt bulbs, thousands of tube lights and focus lights, along with transformers and hundreds of generators.
The City Corporation has awarded the decorative lighting contract to Geetha Electricals, based in Bolara.
According to the firm's proprietor, Ashok, the installation work took approximately a month to complete.
More than 200 workers, including labourers from Assam and the surrounding areas of Mangaluru, were engaged in installing the lights. Over 120 electricians monitor the arrangements daily to ensure that the displays remain operational throughout the festivities.
Across the corporation limits, the installations comprise approximately 10 crore miniature lights, two crore pixel bulbs and one crore nine-watt bulbs. As the arrangements are used specifically for Dasara, the work is undertaken through subcontracts. Ashok said that when some lights fail to function properly, they sometimes have to be removed and installed again.
The City Corporation has illuminated an extensive network of roads and religious centres, including the stretch from Mangaladevi Temple to Marnamikatte; A B Shetty Circle to Mankistand Cross Road; and the Ramalakshmana Hall–M K Kere Road–Bolara Marigudi Temple–Levell Junction corridor.
Lighting also extends from Bolara Levell Junction to Gujjarakere, along Morgans Gate–Mankistand Road–Jaihind Circle, and from Mangaladevi Temple along Bolara Main Road to Bolara Old Fort Temple.
Other illuminated stretches include Mangaluru University–Clock Tower–A B Shetty Circle; Kudroli Temple–Gurji Circle–Narayana Guru Circle–Lalbagh–PVS–Govinda Pai Circle–Hampankatta Circle; and Hampankatta Circle–GHS Road–Jewellery Lane–Car Street Temple–Ushakiran Hotel–New Chitra–Kudroli Temple.
The decorations also extend along Govinda Pai Circle–Dongerkery Temple–New Chitra; Govinda Pai Circle–Mahamayi Temple–Car Street Temple–Sharavu Temple; and New Chitra–Basavanagudi–Ushakiran.
Crowds swell at bus stands and on buses.
The festive rush has also led to heavy crowds at bus stands and on public transport across the coastal districts. Private buses and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses operating from Mangaluru to various destinations were packed with passengers.
Many people working or studying outside their hometowns returned home to celebrate the festival with their families. Bus stands also witnessed people originally from various North Karnataka districts, who had settled in Udupi and Mangaluru for employment and other reasons, travelling to their native places for the festivities.
Passenger arrivals from Bengaluru increased considerably, resulting in crowded buses and bus stands across the coastal region, including Udupi and Kundapura.
50 additional KSRTC buses deployed
To accommodate the festive rush, Bengaluru KSRTC deployed 50 additional buses to the coastal districts on Friday. Of these, 33 buses were allocated to the Mangaluru depot, eight to the Udupi depot and nine to the Kundapura depot.
In Mangaluru, 20 buses were being used for package tours, while buses already in service across the two districts continued to cater to regular passenger traffic. No additional buses had been introduced specifically for travel from Mangaluru, Udupi and Kundapura to other districts at that stage.
KSRTC has decided to deploy additional buses during the concluding days of Navaratri, when passenger movement from Bengaluru and other districts is expected to increase further.
With illuminated temples and streets drawing visitors after dusk and holidaymakers crowding transport hubs, the coastal districts are witnessing a festive surge marked by the visual splendour of Mangaluru Dasara and increased travel across the region.