Pics: Sachin Uchilla
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Oct 25 : The Shobhayatra and immersion of the Devi idols worshipped at Uchila Sri Mahalakshmi Temple was held on Tuesday, Oct 24 in a grand manner. The 10 idols of Devi were taken out in a grand procession from the Uchilla Temple to the Kaup Beach.
Vedamurthy Raghavendra Upadhyaya conducted the rituals.
Uchila Temple honorary advisor Dr G Shankar Kapu, MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, businessman Banjara Prakash Shetty, D K, president of Mogaveera Mahajana Sangha Jaya C Kotiyan Bellampally and other dignitaries started the procession by offering flowers.
The Shobhayatra was taken out with more than 50 special tableaus, 10 special tableaus including 10 Devi idols. Various bhajan troupes, fish, various costumes, tiger costumes, tableaus with chende balaga, nadaswara and nashik band troupes participated in the procession and enthralled the crowd.
A huge elephant with the Ambari and carrying the offerings made to Goddess Mahalakshmi in the Ambari added colour to the Shobhayatra. The Ambari was made using fiber and metal and the 15-feet tall elephant weighed 1 ton.
Devotees were dazzled by the lighting of Gangaarathi held as part of the Uchila Dussehra representing the Gangaarati which is also held in Varanasi.
Dr Nadoja G Shankar, honorary advisor of the temple, Mogaveera Mahajan Sangha president Jaya C Kotiyan, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, Kapu MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, temple constituency board president Vasudeva Saliyan, renovation committee president Gundu B Amin, former MLA K Raghupathi Bhat, Uchila Badagrama Panchayat president Shivakumar Mendon, Shilpa Gangadhara Suvarna, Gangadhara Suvarna Kapu, MRG Group president Banjara Prakash Shetty, Mahajana Sangha vice-president Subhashchandra Kanchan, Gangadhara Suvarna Ermalu, Dinesh Ermalu, general secretary Sudhakar Kunder, D K Mogaveera Mahajana Sangha.
The women's division president Usharani Boluru, temple manager Satish Amin Padukare, Prasadraj Kanchan and other dignitaries participated in the programme.