Mangalore Dasara to commence on Sept. 28 at Gokarnanatha Temple

Mangalore Dasara to commence on Sept. 28 at Gokarnanatha Temple

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, September 26, 2011: Harikrishna Bantwal, the trustee of the Mangalore Dasara committee, told reporters at a press conference that the Navarathri Utsav aka the Mangalore Dasara, will begin at Gokarananatha Temple in Kudroli on September 28 and will continue till Oct 5.

Stating that the Gokarnanatha Temple is the only place where the idols of the Navadurgas and Goddess Sharada are installed, he said that B. Janardhan Poojary, the former union minister, will launch a website with information regarding Mangalore Dasara and Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple on September 29 Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

 

He will also inaugurate the new Ratha Mandir for the silver chariot donated by Urmila Ramesh Kumar and Ramesh Kumar last year.

On September 28 Thursday, the Navadurgas and Goddess Sharada will be consecrated at 11:36 p.m. A number of cultural and religious programmes will mark the beginning of this 9-day festival.

At 9:30 a.m. on October 3, the temple authorities under the leadership of B. Janardhan Poojary, will distribute saris, blouse pieces, bangles, flowers, and kumkum among 1,500 widows after holding a special chandika homa with them. The widows will also be asked to pull the silver chariot around the temple. The temple has also offered monetary aid to any man who expresses willingness to marry a widow.

Throughout Mangalore Dasara, special poojas will be offered to the images of Mahagowri, Kathyayini, Mahakali, Brahmacharini, Shailaputhri, Kushmandini, Siddhidhartri, and Skandmatha, who are all considered to be various forms of Goddess Durga.

On Oct 6, the last day of the Mangalore Dasara, a grand procession will be organized. It will set out at 4:30 p.m. from Kudroli Temple and will pass through Mannagudda, MG Road, Alake, and Ram Bhavan Circle, before returning to Kudroli, where the idols will all be immersed. The procession will comprise around 50 colourful tableaux.

H. S. Sairam, the president and administrative officer of Shri Gokarnanath Kshethra; Raghavendra Kulur, the vice president; Padmaraj R., and others were present at the press conference.