Mangaluru Dasara matches Mysuru counterpart

Mangaluru: This coastal city has its own version of Dasara festivities thanks to the Kudroli Gokarnanatha temple, which takes the lead in organising Dasara procession, the installation of Navadurga idols and giving the required colour and gaiety to the festivities. The temple itself has been brought up to give the common man his place of worship.

Sahukar Koragappa, who took the lead in 1912 towards this end, brought the 19th-century philosopher and social reformer Narayana Guru from Kerala to Mangalore to consecrate the Shiva Lingam which he brought from Kerala along with him. The kshetra was named 'Gokarnanatha' by Narayana Guru. The Billava community leader, Koragappa, despite being a respected elder of the city was pained by the denial of the right of entry to temples to the Billava community by upper caste Hindus. He had felt that his community could benefit from the presence of their own place of worship.

Through these humble beginnings, the Gokarnanatha Temple has now become a world centre for Billavas and a strong Shiva temple not just in Dakshina Kannada but in entire South India, says Rajya Sabha member B Janardhana Poojary who was instrumental in bringing up this temple to today's stature starting in 1989 with Kar Seva. Former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the temple.

The Kshetra started the tradition of consecrating the Navadurgas for the Dasara festival in the year 1991. The Navadurgas in their different avatars as mentioned in the Puranas are installed here which has become a speciality of Kudroli temple. Mahagowri, Mahakali, Kathyayini, Shailaputhri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kooshmandini, Skandamatha and Siddhi Dhatri are the Navadurga Avatharas. This is the only temple in the country that offer poojas for all the nine forms of Durgas. Sharada the goddess of knowledge is at the centre stage.

In the last three days, the Sharada Mahotsava adds to the colour of Navadurga pooja. The Sharada matha idol is stated to be one of the largest in the country. On the last day of the Navarathri-Vijayadashami, the grand procession includes a five-kilometre-long line-up of tableaux (over 75 of them) coming from all over the state and some outside. More than 30 troupes of folk dancers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh also take part in the procession. All the Navadurga idols, mounted on a truck platform with a dazzling display of lights, take part in the procession. The all-night affair keeps Mangalore city awake all night.

It is estimated that in 2021, there will be more than 10 lakh people who will witness the procession and another five lakh will have visited the temple during the Navarathri festivities, which is equivalent to the crowds drawn by the Mysore Dasara. After the two-year COVID blues, the festival will now be celebrated in real festive hues. However, the Mangalore Dasara does not have government or royal patronage like its famous cousin in Mysuru. The entire expense of Dasara is borne by the devotees and philanthropists,which gives it the name—the common man's Dasara.