Mangalore, Oct 23: A revolutionary change was brought into being when hundreds of widows were allowed to participate in the Lakshmi pooja performed at Shree Gokarnanatheshwara Kshetra on the occasion of Diwali celebrations at Kudroli here on Thursday.
The three women priests belonging to Dalit communities, recently posted at historic temple led over a thousand widows who offered special poojas.
After performing pooja to the idol of Narayan Guru in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, priestesses Lakshmi Shanthi, Chandravati Shanthi and Indira Shanthi then performed the traditional aarti ritual and offered their prayers to the deities of Vishnu and Lakshmi in the adjacent mantap.
Following the main rituals, hundreds of widows gathered in the courtyard of the temple performed mangalaarti to the presiding deities.
On the occasion, pioneer of the temple B Janardhan Poojary, Mayor Mahabala Marla and office-bearers of the temple management board were present along with others.
After performing the traditional rituals, the deities of Vishnu and Lakshmi were placed in the silver chariot inside the courtyard of the temple while the chariot was taken around the courtyard by the widows.
Thereafter, new sarees, kumkum (vermilion), flowers, and blouse materials were distributed to the widows in the Santhoshi Kala mantap inside the temple courtyard.
Briefing mediapersons, Mr Poojary said that hundreds of devotees had gathered to witness and participate in the Lakshmi pooja at the temple across barriers of caste and creed.
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