Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Dec 11: The annual Laksha Deepotsava of historically famous Lord Kundeshwara temple here got off to a flying start on Thursday December 10 morning. This festival of lights is held annually on Kartika Bahula Amavasya day as per Hindu calendar.
As part of the programme, special puja was offered to Lord Kundeshwara, devotees chanted Bhajans, various cultural programmes were held, and community feast was arranged. In the evening, as part of Laksha Deepotsava, devotees got the Darshan of the Lord by lighting the earthen lamp.
Laksha Deepotsava of the temple is literally a community festival because of the fact that almost everyone from the town makes it a point to visit the temple on this day. Car festival with the chariot bedecked with flowers, and Katte Puja of the Lord were also initiated on the occasion. Entire town bathed in innumerable colourful lights which illuminated buildings and streets. Cultural programme undertaken by various institutions and organized added to the glitter of the Deepotsava.
In the morning, Shatarudrabhisheka, Mahapuja and Maha Mangalarati followed by distribution of Prasadam were held. At night, Ranga Puja and Maha Mangalarati were performed, following which the Utsava Murty is brought out of the sanctum sanctorum. Just like the annual car festival, the Utsava Murty, under the guidance of the temple Tantry and to the accompaniment of various musical instruments including percussion instruments and cymbal, perambulates the temple thrice in the inner precinct and thrice in the outer precinct. In the last round, the Utsava Murty is seated in the temple palanquin.
The city procession which begins next, ends in the early next morning. The procession is accompanied by various kinds of musical instruments including Nagaswaram, traditional instruments, folklore dances, Tattiraya, expert artistes playing with fire, gymnastics with sticks, puppet dance etc. The procession which leaves the temple takes a turn near the new bus stand, goes upto Hanglur, and arrives at the car street the next morning. No other procession in the surroundings covers so much distance.
Katte Puja: People set up daises at various spots on the route and tastefully decorate them. The Lord's idol is received with reverence and devotion at each of the daises, and sent off after performing puja ritual. The Katte Puja takes about 20 minutes, at the end of which Panchakajjaya is distributed to the gathering. This time, Katte Puja was performed to Lord Kundeshwara in about 16 places.
Teppotsava: A special raft made by joining two country boats together is used for Teppotsava held in the temple pond. Along with the Lord's idol, temple Tantry, priests, and persons holding torches board this raft which then floats around the pond thrice. The reflection of earthen lamps lining up all sides of the pond creates a magical ambiance on this occasion. Thereafter, puja is performed to the idol at the platform of holy fig tree, followed by offering of coconuts to the reverred stone installed on the perambulation path by crushing them. The coconut pieces so generated are picked by the washer-men families as Prasadam, in tune with age-old tradition.
Thereafter, the idol is taken around the outer precinct, after which it is led into the sanctum sanctorum. This is followed with Mangalarati, distribution of holy rice, benediction by the Tantry and distribution of Prasadam.