M'lore: Religious Ceremonies, Palanquin Processions, Community Feast - Hallmarks of Kodial Teru
By Shreelatha Nayak Kodialbail
Pics by Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SN/SP)
Mangalore, Feb 2: The well known 'Mangalore Car Festival' or 'Kodial Teru’ is being celebrated with splendour and religious zeal for five days by the Gowd Saraswat Brahmin Community in the city.
The annual festivities connected with the festival start with the ‘Dwajarohana’ or the hoisting of the flag with the symbol of Lord Hanuman on a silver plaque or the elevation of ‘Kodi’ at the ‘Dwajastambha’ on the first day, which is to repule influences of evil powers and to provide a protective cover to the presiding deities from the problems that may arise during the festival days.
This is the wonderful occasion in which large number of devotees jostle with one another to get a glimpse of the idols of Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavati seated in the golden palanquin taken around the outer precincts of the sanctum sanctorum five times, to the accompaniment of various troupes which play musical instruments and sing Bhajans.
Later, the idols are brought out of the temple premises and installed in the 'Brahma Ratha' placed in front of Sri Venkataramana Temple at Godhooli Lagnam in the evening.
The ‘Mriga Bete’ is performed on the night of the fourth day of car festival when the volunteers accompany the procession through a pre-determined route before the deities are seated on the 'Sanna Teru' or small chariot.
The 'Ratharohana' is considered as the holiest among all the ceremonies performed during the Car festival which signifies the marriage of Lord Venkatramana and Goddess Padmavathi. It provides an opportunity for the devotees to offer flowers and fruits to the deities, climbing the steps of sanctified chariot and paying obeisance to the deities, through the queue system. It is believed, that the deities happen to be in a good mood when seated in the chariot and hence, whatever the devotees pray for, is granted.
As soon as the ceremony of ‘Ratharohana’ is completed, people rush to the temple premises for the delicious meal served in the form of ‘Prasadam’. The special dishes served in the plantain leaf, and the opportunity of partaking food in the company of dear ones and relatives who come to the city to take part in the car festival, gives a special taste to the food served there. Food items like ‘Dali Tove’ made out of toordal is the main attraction and common menu during the entire tenure of the festival. Large number of youths and children selflessly volunteer to serve the food for thousands of people, clean the surroundings, wash the utensils and do other errands at the temple.
The temple management also provides the ‘Ganji Oota’ or ‘Pejje Jevan’ accompanied with chutneys, curries and pickles for the people in the morning on all the days of the festival as a part of the festivities.
The 'Brahma Ratha' decorated with flowers, festoons, vegetables etc., in which the deities are installed, is pulled by the devotees till the dead end of Car street and back to the temple square again on the fifth day.
The ‘Okkuli’ is celebrated on the sixth and the final day of the car festival, where the devotees enjoy drenching each other in coloured water, playing with friends and family members with gay abandon. People enjoy dancing through out the day to the blaring music from various vehicles accompanying the palanquins carrying the deities. It is said, that some people eat sweets like Laddu and sweetened milk, duly mixing some herbal intoxicants to them, a tradition being followed to enjoy the occasion to the fulest and dance to the content of their hearts. The procession of 'Okkuli' concludes with the bathing of the deities in the tank located in Srinivas Patashala compound and the deities are brought back to the temple.
Lowering the flag or ‘Kodi’ on the last day bring curtains down on the grand celebrations of car festival. People then start waiting for the next year's car festival. The festival is an occasion where friends, relatives, classmates, erstwhile neighbourers come from different places and meet one another at a common platform and happily get to know from each other what happened in their lives during the last one year.