Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Oct 14: Already four Yakshagana troupes are functioning under the banner of Kateel Goddess Durgaparameshwari Temple. As there has been rush from the devotees to organize shows by these Melas, a need had earlier been felt to set up a fifth Mela (troupe).

Artistes, management and other paraphernalia had been pooled together several months back, and permission from the authorities was awaited. On Wednesday October 13, the fifth Mela was officially launched by offering mass prayers to the Goddess at the temple.

Temple priest, Lakshminarayana Asranna, led the prayers. Tantry of the temple, Vedvyas Tantry, MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, Yakshagana Bayalata Academy president, Kumble Sundar Rao, several priests, convener of the Mela, Deviprasad Shetty, zilla panchayat president, Santosh Kumar Bhandary, zilla panchayat member, Shyla Sequeira, temple manager, Vishweshwar Rao, and several others were present on this occasion.

The launching of the fifth Mela is expected to ease the pressure on other Melas to stage ‘Baraka Aata (organizing shows in fulfilment of vows)’ at the behest of the devotees of the Goddess.