Monti Fest celebrated across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi with faith and tradition

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru/Udupi, Sep 8, 2026: The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as Monti Fest, was celebrated with religious devotion and traditional fervour across churches in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Tuesday.

Commemorating the birth of Mother Mary, Monti Fest holds a special place in the religious and cultural life of the Konkani Catholic community along the coastal region. The festival also carries the significance of a harvest celebration, bringing together faith, family, agriculture and community traditions.

The celebrations followed the traditional nine-day Novena, during which children offered flowers to Infant Mary at churches. Special prayers and religious services were held at parishes across the two districts. Preparations for the feast had begun with the commencement of the Novena at churches under the Mangaluru and Udupi dioceses.

On the feast day, special Masses were celebrated at churches, with the season’s first harvest, particularly newly harvested rice, blessed and distributed among the faithful. The tradition symbolises gratitude for the harvest and thanksgiving for God’s blessings.

 

 

 

The celebrations continued in homes, where families prepared traditional vegetarian festive meals using locally grown vegetables. Newly harvested rice remained an important part of the feast, as families gathered to share the meal and preserve a cherished tradition passed down through generations.