Mangaluru: Common man's Dasara begins on a colourful note

October 1, 2016

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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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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