Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Feb 10: The ‘Dodda Rathotsava’, the annual festival of Lord Venkataramana Temple located in the heart of the city at Car Street, is being held today. The car festival, which is held on the fifth day of the six-day festivities of the temple, is known popularly as ‘Kodial Teru’.  The ‘Sanna Teru’ is pulled the previous day of ‘Kodial Teru’, while on the next day, ‘Holi Utsav (Okkul)’ is celebrated.

The temple, which happens to be a strong centre of faith for people belonging to Gowda Saraswat Brahman community, is also frequented by people from other communities. Thousands make it a point to set out time from their busy schedules elsewhere in the country and the world, to take part in the festival. Thousands of devotees gather for taking part in the religious programmes and community feast every day, and invoke blessings of Lord Venkataramana, but the largest crowd will be present to witness the pulling of the Lord’s chariot thorough Car Street today evening. Before being seated in the elaborately decorated chariot, the idol of Lord Venkataramana will be taken in a procession in a golden palanquin around the sanctum sanctorum, accompanied by musical instruments, Bhajans and devotees, who repeatedly chant the name of the Lord in loud voices.

Oblations, providing a holy bath to the idols of the deities with various items like ghee, turmeric powder, milk, etc, besides several other rituals that are part of the festival, are held every day during these six days. The celebrations connected with the car festival will conclude with the installation of the idol of the deity back in the sanctum sanctorum,  after giving it a holy bath during the Holi Utsav procession on Friday.

This four century-old temple also provides an opportunity to the devotees to mix together and meet their friends, class mates, and relatives from various parts of the world at least once during the annual car festival.