Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Nov 19: Historic Kotilingeshwar temple at Koteshwar is one of the seven historic pilgrim centres of Karnataka coastal region. The annual Kodi festival was celebrated with pomp and gaiety here on November 19.

The celebrations were simple due to Covid-19 last year. But the chariot festival was held despite the anxiety of Coronavirus observing precautions and guidelines this year. The number of devotees, shops, entertainment parks and glittering electric lighting has given the festival the earlier glaze. Religious rituals began on November 12 itself. The car festival was held at 11.50 am on Friday, November 18. Devotees were excited to see the arrival of the eagle towards the chariot.

Temple managing committee president M Prabhaker Shetty, priest Prasanna Kumar Aithal, chief executive Ganesh Gowda, committee members S Raghavendra Rao Neramballi, Suresh Sheregar Beejadi, Chandrika Dhanya Koteshwar, Sharada Moodugopadi, Manjunath Acharya, Bharathi, priests, staff, villagers and devotees were present. Cultural programmes will be held every night from 8 pm from November 16 to November 20.

Koteshwar is called Dhwajapur in mythology. There are 68 temples around Koteshwar devoted to Shiva.

Kodi festival is joyous for newly married couples and farmers. The celebrations of Kodi festival have been traditional. There is a belief that the desires of the devotees will be fulfilled if they spread the rice grown in their fields around the lake with an area of five acres here. Devotees from distant places bathe in the lake from 3 am on the festival day and spread rice grown in their fields around the lake.