Mangalore: Grand Car Festival at Mangaladevi Temple Attracts Thousands
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Oct 18: Goddess Mangaladevi, from whom the city derived its name, is seated in the temple dedicated to her, which is located at Bolar in the city. The area where the temple stands, in itself is known as ‘Mangaladevi’. The car festival of the temple, where traditions and customs have remained intact since hundreds of years, is held on the Vijaya Dashami Day every year.
Various rituals and oblations are conducted in Mangaladevi temple all the nine days of Navaratri festival. On the eighth day, the Goddess takes the form of ‘Sharadamba’, the Godess of education, while on the ninth, she is presented as ‘Marikamba’, the Goddess of valour, in which form, she had decimated the challenge posed by a number of demons.
The chariot, in which the Goddess is seated, was pulled along the pre-determined route on the night of Sunday October 17. A number of tableaux accompanied the procession. After reaching Marnamikatta in the city, the Goddess was worshipped. With the car festival, the Navaratri celebrations at the temple have come to a close. Several dignitaries visited the temple during this festival and paid their obeisance to the Goddess.