Mangaluru Dasara to get grand makeover with focus on tourism, cleanliness and safety: U T Khader

Mangaluru Dasara to get grand makeover with focus on tourism, cleanliness and safety: U T Khader

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 1, 2026: A preparatory meeting for the upcoming Mangaluru Dasara festival was held in Mangaluru under the chairmanship of Health and Family Welfare Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister U T Khader.

Addressing the meeting, Khader called for organising Mangaluru Dasara on a grand scale by bringing together the district’s religious, cultural and tourism attractions and creating a vibrant festive atmosphere during Navratri.

He said prominent temples, including Sri Gokarnanatha, Mangaladevi, Sharavu Mahaganapathi and Kateel Durgaparameshwari, should be promoted as part of the festival to attract devotees and tourists from across Karnataka and other states.

Khader directed government departments, the Mangaluru City Corporation and local administrative bodies to work in coordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival. He also sought the cooperation of local communities and festival committees.

Cleanliness, road repairs to get priority

Khader directed the Mangaluru City Corporation to ensure daily sanitation throughout the festival. Special teams should clean roads and festival venues immediately after nightly celebrations so that the city remains clean every morning.

He also instructed officials to ensure that streetlights along key routes are functional and that potholes and damaged roads on procession and festival routes are repaired before the celebrations.

He further directed authorities to shift garbage vehicle transfer operations currently carried out at public locations, including areas near Ocean Pearl, to a designated site during the nine-to-10-day festival to prevent inconvenience to visitors and maintain the city’s image.

Special waste management near temples

Khader noted that around 200 temples, both large and small, are expected to attract devotees during the festival season. While some temples may receive crowds of 100 to 1,000 people, mass-feeding programmes such as Annasantarpane can draw up to 5,000 people a day.

He directed authorities to deploy dedicated garbage vehicles and establish proper waste collection systems near major temples to manage food and other waste generated during such programmes.

He said discussions had already been held with the commissioner and deputy commissioner regarding waste clearance and arrangements for prasada distribution.

Additional KSRTC buses

Khader called for promoting Mangaluru Dasara beyond Dakshina Kannada and attracting visitors from districts such as Shivamogga, Koppal, Davanagere and Chitradurga, apart from nearby areas including Sullia and Puttur.

The Tourism Department and KSRTC have been asked to coordinate and operate additional buses from surrounding villages and other areas to Mangaluru during the festival, with suitable timings to facilitate travel for families.

Rs 2.2 crore for decorative lighting

Decorative lighting will be installed along major routes, including Nanthoor, Lalbagh, PVS Junction, Navabharath Circle, Hampankatta and towards Mangaladevi. The estimated cost of this year’s decorative lighting arrangements is around Rs 2.2 crore.

Khader also directed the Tourism Department to prepare a two-to-three-minute promotional video showcasing Mangaluru Dasara. The video will feature prominent temples, beaches, historical tableaux, processions, Huli Vesha competitions, exhibitions and various cultural programmes.

The meeting was attended by Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath, MLC Ivan D’Souza, Mangaluru Mayor Manjula, Santosh Kumar, Higher Education Department Secretary and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge secretary Tulasi Madineni, City Police Commissioner Darshan, Deputy Commissioner Mamatha Gatti, along with officials and representatives of various temple administrations.