Colorful Conclusion to Mangalore Dassara

procession that depicted the religious zeal and rich cultural traditions of Mangalore. The final Dassara procession included more than 120 tableaux, 25 Huli Vesha groups, 50 troupes of singers and folk dancers, 30 troupes of Maharashtrian drummers, and many other artists.

So far, only Mysore was famous for its Dassara celebration. The Mangalore Dassara celebrations have proven to be just as grand, attracting more than 6 lakh people from different parts of Mangalore, Shimoga, Kasargod, and Udupi.

Mangalore dazzled with lights of many colors arranged along the route taken by the procession, right from Gokarnanatha temple in Kudroli to Hampankatta’s Lady Hill and back to the temple again via Rambhavan Circle.

The presence of Huli Vesha dancers, Bootha Kola, folk dancers, Yakshagana troupes, fire throwers, tableaux that illustrated famous legends of Dakshina Kannada such as Koti Chennaiah; stories from the Puranas; portions of Ravana Gharvabhanga, Devi Bhagavata, Garudavahana, and many more; stills from mythology-based old Kannada movies; and many more made the procession awe inspiring.

Many young men in outlandish costumes danced to the tunes of Bollywood songs blaring from the top of a truck. The procession was marked with innumerable colored umbrellas, which added to its ethnic charm.