JOIN USNavaratri, the nine-day festival was ushered in with installation of idols of gods at the Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple on Wednesday.
The idols of Ganesha, Adishakti and Sharada were installed on the first day of Navaratri as part of the Mangaluru Dasara. Navadurgas, the nine forms of Goddess Durga – Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kooshmanda, Skandamatha, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagowri and Siddhidhatri – were installed with religious fervour at the Shree Gokarnanatheshwara Kalyana Mantapa.
The bejewelled idol of a smiling Goddess Sharada playing the veena was carried in a procession with a tiger dance and bands.
Karnataka Bank Limited MD and CEO Mahabaleshwara M S was the chief guest.
Navaratri, popularly called Mangaluru Dasara, will be inaugurated by the chief minister on October 14. The streets of the city have been illuminated for the festival. The celebrations will conclude with a grand procession on the day of Vijaya Dashami with the immersion of the idols of Navadurgas and Sharada at the Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple pond.
Dasara celebrations also began at the historic Mangaladevi Temple in the city. Different religious and cultural programmes will be organised until October 19.
Navaratri celebrations also began at the Bolar Sri Mariyamma Mahishamardini Temple, the Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple at Kateel and the Bappanadu Durgaparameshwari Temple. The temples decked up for the celebrations were visual delights.
Nammavaru, an association of people from the Old Mysore region and settled in Mangaluru, added flavour to the festivities by organising its annual Dasara Gombe exhibition at Sharavu Temple.
The theme this year was the sanctum sanctorum of Tirupati Srinivasa. The recreation comprised an 8-foot tall Prabhavali; the idol of Srinivasa; Jaya-Vijaya, the guards to the sanctum sanctorum. The tradition of Haridasas were also unravelled through the doll exhibition.