10-day Dasara festivities begin in ‘Devi’ temples of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi

The Navarathri and Dasara festivities began in ‘Devi’ temples, including the popular Mangaladevi and Kollur Mookambika temples, in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Thursday.

The Navarathri and Dasara festivities began in ‘Devi’ temples, including the popular Mangaladevi and Kollur Mookambika temples, in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Thursday.

In Mangaluru, most of the roads were lit. Cutouts of Sharada Devi, placed near prominent junctions in the city, attracted the attention of people.

The festivities began at Mangaladevi temple with prayer to Mahaganapati at 9 a.m. Soon after, members of Mangala Seva Samiti presented ‘silver hands’ to the deity, in the presence of Padmanabha tantri. The members will offer food to devotees at the temple on Vijayadashami day. Several devotees visited the temple throughout the day and also visited the 50-odd stalls that have come up on one side of the road between the temple and Mangaladevi temple circle.

Senior Congress leader B. Janardhan Poojary offered prayers before the principal deity at the Kudroli temple to start the 10-day long ‘Mangaluru Dasara’ at 9 a.m. Soon after rituals were done for installation of Nava Durga and Sharada Mata idols on the temple premises. Different rituals will be done throughout the day during the period. There will be mass Chandika homa on Wednesday. More than 100 stalls, selling eatables and other articles, have come up on the roads leading to Kudroli Temple.

Dasara festivities also began at Durgaparameshwari temples in Kateel and Bappanadu. Sharada Mahotsava also began at the Venkataraamana temple in Car Street in Mangaluru.

The Udupi Uchchila Dasara also began with the installation of Sharada Mata and Nava Durga idols on the premises of Mahalakshmi temple in Uchchila. A 10-day exhibition was also inaugurated. A series of rituals and cultural programmes have been lined up. It will come to an end with ‘Shobha Yatra’ from the temple to Kapu beach.

The Navarathri and Dasara festivities also began at Kollur Mookambika temple, Shambukallu Shri Veerabhadra Durgaparameshwari temple in Udyavara, Mahatobara Shri Mahishamardhini temple in Neelavara and Shri Ekanateshwari temple in Barkur. Festivities also began at Udupi Krisha Mutt in Udupi.