Mangaluru: Oct 1: Mangaluru Dasara, also known as common man's Dasara got off to a colourful start with the consecration of the idol of Goddess Sharada at Kudroli Shree Kshetra on Saturday.
The clay idol of the Goddess was taken out in a procession from the Vishwanatha Mantapa on the premises of the Kudroli Shree Gokarnanatha Temple, amid the beating of native drums, and consecrated at the Shree Gokarnanatha Kalyana Mantapa at the temple.
A group of artistes from Sharada Prathishte' troupe, performing Huli Vesha', led the procession. The idol was consecrated on the specially decorated podium at the kalyana mantapa. The kalyana mantapa itself has been given a new look of a durbar hall' for the occasion, with fibre made pillars and ceiling giving a gilded look resembling a palace.
The rituals in the day began with guruprarthana, followed by punyaha homa, navakalashabhisheka and kalasa prathishtapana. The idols of navadurge, along with Goddess Adishakti, were installed, followed by Goddess Sharada. As is the practice, the maiden puja was offered to the idol of Lord Ganapathi.
A bejewelled idol of Sharada playing veena, decorated with saree and flowers (Udupi Jasmine) was the cynosure of all the eyes. Soon after the idol was installed, the deity was decorated with a silver crown.
Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar inaugurated Dasara festival in the presence of temple trustees H S Sairam, Urmila Ramesh Kumar, B K Tharanath, Harikrishna Bantwal, treasurer Padmaraja R, Malathi Janardhan Poojary to name a few.
The 11-day event that also marks Navaratri, will conclude on October 12, with a grand procession on the eve of the last leg. The procession that starts from the temple on October 11 will end on the early hours of following day.
The police commissioner said, “I am equally ecstatic for the festival also being my first in Mangaluru. The people should believe in the spirit of the festival, as it signifies the victory of good over evil.”
Reacting to media queries, the police commissioner said, “Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the festival, with 800 policemen and 350 home guards deputed for the same. In addition, 200 armed guards drawn from reserve forces have been deployed on duty. The organisers have also been told to depute volunteers from their side as an added measure. The inspectors have conducted preliminary meetings with the organisers before drawing security plans.”
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