Bengaluru turns colourful for Mahanavami, Vijayadashami

Devotees take part in ‘Sindhur Kela’ at Halasuru Lake on Friday. DH PHOTO/Ranju P 

Vijayadashami celebrations at Banashankari Temple. DH PHOTO/M S MANJUNATH

Dasara ended on Friday with idol immersions, special pujas and cultural programs at various temples and pandals organised on account of Vijayadashami.

From Thursday, Bengaluru wore a colourful look as people decorated their vehicles, offices and buildings to celebrate Ayudha Puja or Mahanavami.

Drawing attention to the perineal pothole issue, citizen group B.CLIP Alumni Association held a special ‘Pothole Ayudha Puja’ at Chalukya Circle.

At Rajajinagar Iskcon temple, a special socially distanced puja was conducted on Vijayadashami. Other temples decorated idols in creative ways to mark the final day of Dasara. Cultural events like pravachanas, music concerts and dance programmes were held on Friday evening.

At Manpho Centre, where one of the city’s biggest Durga Puja was organised by the Bengaluru Durga Puja Committee (BDPC), Mahanavami was observed with the traditional Bengali dance, Dhunachi. On Friday, devotees danced and took part in the ‘Sindhur Kela’ tradition before bidding adieu to this year’s Durga idol.

Volunteers from various groups were found immersing idols of goddess Durga near Halasuru lake during the day.

Due to Covid restrictions, no pre-immersion processions were conducted this year.