On the last Monday of Karthika this year

Solemn occasion

Antargange in Kolar, Manda Gowramma in Malur taluk, Kallinatheshwaraswamy in Gauribidanur taluk, Maralusiddeshwara temple in Chikkaballapur, Someshwaraswamy in Mulbagal... Each place had its own way of observance and was also similar to the others in the way devotees thronged the places and offered prayers.

Antargange hills

Thousands of devotees started a climb to the top of the Antargange hills starting Monday morning, for prayers at the Shiva temple.

People came from even the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states to get a ‘darshan’ of the ‘Panchalinga’ and take a bath in the tank at the temple.

Many of them even carried home the sacred water from the Nandi idol near the tank.

Malur

Residents of Doddashivara believe in offering prayers devoutly to Manda Gowramma in the month of Karthika every year to have their wishes fulfilled.

The first Monday of the month, the statue of the goddess is placed by the road in the middle of the village. Both men and women come to Doddashivara and pray to the goddess asking relief from their problems. There is also a self-set deadline of sorts, as they believe the solution comes before the Karthika month next year. The farmers in the village offer Gowramma the grains they grow and beg for a good yield the following year too.

On the night of the last Monday of the month, women from the neighbouring villages, who prayed to the goddess, make offerings to her whole-heartedly, for having fulfilled their wishes. Prayers and rituals continue the night through in the form of a procession.
In the morning, the devotees carry the idol of the goddess to the village tank, pray and make offerings again. They then immerse the idol and return to the Shiva temple in the village.

Gouribidanur

In the Kallinatheswara temple on the top of the hill near Kalludi in the taluk, Brahmarathotsava, the procession, began traditionally on Monday, with devotees playing musical instruments.

The idol of Kallinatheshwara was brought decorated with flowers and placed in the chariot. Devotees threw bananas at the chariot as offering. There was a long line of devotees from 8 am till 6 pm for a glance of the idol.

Folk artistes from Penugonda organised a bhajan programme.

Chikkaballapur

Devotees made an offering of 1008 litres of milk at the Maralusiddeshwara temple near MG Road.

In a grand ceremony starting at 9.15 am on Monday, both idols at the temple, Maralusiddeshwara and Gangadhareshwara, were given baths of milk. All devotees, from children to senior citizens offered milk to the gods. Although initially planned till 12.30 pm, since the people started turning up mostly towards evening, the ceremony was extended till about 3 pm.

The devotees who returned after darshan and prayers were given prasad prepared with milk. Thousands of lamps were lit on the premises in the evening.